CREATING A FRAMEWORK FOR CLINICAL NURSING PRACTICE TO ADVANCE IN THE WEST MIDLANDS REGION

The West Midlands Regional Health Authority identified a lack of oppor tunities for nurses to develop advanced clinical practice through a re cognized programme at Postgraduate diploma/Masters degree level. Educa tion for clinical practice must be equally grounded in theory and prac tice. Advanced clinical practice requires more than just skills acquis ition, it has a much wider remit incorporating elements of clinical ex pertise and higher level decision making, research awareness, teaching and role modelling, informing policy making and leading in the provis ion of patient care within individual Trusts. This initiative has enco uraged universities, trusts and provider units to work together to ide ntify and prepare students and staff for their changes in role, and to review existing boundaries for practice which will enable new approac hes to team work and the provision of holistic patient care.