World In Brief 19 November 2009

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RCN INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT

WORLD IN BRIEF – 19 November 2009 Awards Presentation of the Robert Tiffany international award The presentations took place last week of the prestigious Robert Tiffany International Award sponsored by the RCN at the Nursing Standards 2009 awards. Paula Hancock, a senior nurse lecture at the University of Sheffield, won this honour in recognition of her work in developing a recognised European-wide occupational health nursing master’s degree, offered online and by distance learning. After Paula’s department made its’ diploma in occupational health nursing available to Danish nurses, a grant from the European Union’s Leonardo da Vinci scheme enabled seven countries to successfully collaborate on harmonising their specialist qualifications. Christina Jones, nurse consultant in critical care follow-up at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospital NHS Trust in Merseyside, received a commendation for her international research project on development and evaluation of a diary record about the time patients spent unconscious in intensive care.

Consultation Response RCN responds to UK health sector involvement in international development The RCN responded to a consultation on towards NHS guidance for UK health sector involvement in international development issued in August 2009 by the international division of the Department of Health. Our submission supports the scope and content of this proposed framework, emphasising overseas development or humanitarian work requires experienced multi-disciplinary teams and it is essential that any new policy recognises the value of nurses and other health care professionals. We highlighted how the RCN provides support and information to nurses wishing to undertake international humanitarian work through our virtual online network and joint conferences, seminars and events with non-Government organisations. Our submission is available on our website.

Education Reducing the gap between nurse education and clinical practice

The RCN’s alliance, the International Council of Nurses along with the World Health Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean regional office, recently developed a framework on reducing the gap and improving the interface between education and service. This framework seeks to address concerns on the perceived gap between new graduates’ educational preparation for practice and service providers’ expectations. It identifies key issues and challenges that include: • • • • •

Acceptance of the need and value of lifelong learning Quality of leadership presence in either the service and/or education to shape and influence transition Adequate curriculum/experience to prepare for teamwork and working with diverse cultural patterns Adequate resources and equipment to meet patient care and learning needs Availability and/or quality of clinical placements.

The framework highlights these issues impact on retention of newly-qualified nurses and their transition to effective members of the care team as well as affecting safe patient care.

Employment and Social Affairs European legal ruling on right to compensatory holiday in case of illness The European Court of Justice issued a ruling this month that workers who are ill while on annual leave or whose sickness prevents them from taking annual leave have the right to compensatory leave. The ECJ decided that neither national laws nor collective agreements can deny an entitlement to deferred annual leave where a worker requests it. The ECJ issued this judgement using the Working Time Directive that stipulates employees have a right to a minimum of four week’s annual leave. Their opinion points out that entitlement to paid annual leave is a particularly important principle of Community social law from which there can be no derogations and further builds on a previous ruling that workers have the right to carry over annual leave in cases of sickness absence.

Health Services Launch of UK-based international health links centre website The UK International Health Links Centre is a new initiative that aims to enhance access to health care in the developing world by promoting partnerships that will increase the number and skills in their health workforce. The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine has a two-year grant from the UK’s Department for International Development to progress this work. The IHLC will provide independent advice and guidance to strengthen existing as well as develop links between NHS organisations across the UK with health organisations in the development world. They will signpost UK partners to developing country health plans,

to tools for evaluating the impact of their work and to appropriate agencies for health professionals interested in voluntary or humanitarian work.

Public Health EU-US joint task force formed to reduce the spread of resistant-bacteria Earlier this month at a summit meeting of the EU and the US, they agreed to create a joint task force to combat antimicrobial resistance. This task force, with the support of the World Health Organization, will co-operate on issues concerning the use of antimicrobials and hygiene in health care as well as find incentives to initiate research and development of new antimicrobials. The joint task force will produce an action plan and monitor recommended activities through regular progress reports. They will focus on urgent antimicrobial resistance issues covering prevention of both health care and community-associated drugresistant infections as well as strategies for introducing new antimicrobial drug through intensified co-operation. The European Commission’s agency, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, considers the rising level of resistant-bacteria is the most serious health threat in Europe and the impact of human suffering and socioeconomic costs is probably even greater in developing countries. A report issued in September 2009 on the bacterial challenge: time to react from the ECDC and the European Medicines Agency identified a requirement to develop new antibiotics to overcome infections due to multidrug-resistant bacteria through a European and global strategy.

Research Co-ordinating research on neurodegenerative illnesses across Europe In July 2009, the European Commission issued a Recommendation for a pilot project to co-ordinate research activities on neurodegenerative illnesses. In response to this, MEPs adopted a resolution at last week’s plenary session of the European Parliament supporting this Recommendation and calling for EU member states to develop a joint programme of research to combat these illnesses, particularly Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. This resolution emphasises that research programmes should concentrate, as a priority, on early diagnostic tests, research into risk factors (such as the environment) and criteria for early diagnosis are crucial in the fight against the disease.

Diary 2009 1 July to 31 December

Swedish Presidency of the European Union Website for the Swedish Presidency in English

23 November

Extraordinary meeting of the European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education in Strasbourg Draft Agenda

23 to 26 November

European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg Draft Agenda

24 November

RCN event on international health: how to make a difference in Edinburgh, contact [email protected] or phone 0131 662 6173

26 to 27 November

Education, Youth and Culture Council of Ministers meet in Brussels Draft Agenda

30 November to 1 December Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council of Ministers in Brussels (awaiting agenda) 30 November to 1 December European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education in Brussels (awaiting agenda) 30 November to 1 December European Parliament Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality in Brussels (awaiting agenda) 1 to 2 December

European Parliament Committee on Employment and Social Affairs in Brussels (awaiting agenda)

Next Edition: Thursday 3 December 2009 For further information contact: Gabrielle Levy RCN European and International Information Assistant Email: [email protected] Tel: 020 7647 3929 James Bridge RCN EU/International Adviser Email: [email protected] Tel: 020 7647 3595