Supporting carers: a learning resource for community nurses.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Public Health
• Caregiver Support

Background:

• Informal carers (family/friends) provide essential support but often face unaddressed health and wellbeing needs.
• Community nurses play a crucial role in supporting these carers.
• A gap existed in accessible, tailored learning resources for community nurses regarding carer support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the learning needs of community nurses in supporting carers' health and wellbeing.
• To develop and evaluate an open-access online learning resource for community nurses.
• To improve the capacity of healthcare professionals to assist informal caregivers.

Main Methods:

• Literature review to identify existing knowledge and gaps.
• Desk research and extensive consultation via online surveys and workshops across England.
• Development of an open-access online learning resource with modules, a resource directory, and an e-workbook.

Main Results:

• Identified a clear need for specialized learning resources for community nurses.
• Successfully developed and launched an online learning resource in March 2014.
• Positive feedback led to the expansion of resources for practice and school nurses in March 2015.

Conclusions:

• Online learning resources are effective in equipping community nurses to better support informal carers.
• The developed resource addresses a critical need in caregiver support within community nursing.
• Further development, including a mobile application, aims to enhance accessibility and impact.