Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 2025
A Modified Sonographic Algorithm for Image Acquisition in Life-Threatening Emergencies in the Critically Ill Newborn
Published on: April 7, 2023
Exploring the implementation of key nursing roles in children's cardiac services
Kerry Gaskin1, Amanda Daniels2
1School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, England.
Insights
Children's cardiac nursing roles are evolving. While Royal College of Nursing (RCN) guidance is well-implemented, NHS England standards for congenital heart disease (CHD) nursing roles face challenges, impacting recruitment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nursing
- Cardiology
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Children's cardiac nursing roles have evolved significantly over the past decade.
- New guidance from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and standards from NHS England aim to standardize and improve care for children with congenital heart disease (CHD).
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the implementation of key nursing roles in pediatric cardiac services across the UK and Ireland.
- To evaluate whether these roles align with RCN guidance and NHS England standards.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was distributed to 150 members of the Congenital Cardiac Nurses Association (CCNA).
- Data was collected via an online survey link sent through email.
Main Results:
- 31 out of 150 CCNA members completed the survey.
- Respondents perceived effective implementation of RCN guidance, with roles matching RCN job descriptions.
- Implementation of NHS England standards proved challenging, with slow progress in establishing key roles like lead nurse and cardiac nurse educator. Political and financial factors hindered recruitment.
Conclusions:
- Progress has been made in implementing key and innovative nursing roles (e.g., advanced nurse practitioner, research nurse) since the NHS England standards were published.
- The study's findings influenced the updated RCN guidance, incorporating the role of senior research nurse.
Background:
Children's cardiac nursing roles have changed over the past decade. Royal College of Nursing (RCN) guidance and NHS England standards have been published with the aim of standardising and enhancing nursing care for children and young people with congenital heart disease (CHD) and their families.
Aim:
To explore the breath of implementation of key nursing roles in children's cardiac services across the UK and Ireland and to determine whether the roles met the RCN guidance and the NHS England standards.
Method:
A cross-sectional survey design was used. The 150 members of the Congenital Cardiac Nurses Association (CCNA) were invited via email to participate and were sent a link to an online survey.
Findings:
Of the 150 potential respondents, 31 completed the survey. Overall, respondents believed that the RCN guidance had been implemented effectively and that children's cardiac nursing roles matched the RCN's example job descriptions. Respondents' comments suggested that implementation of the NHS England standards had been challenging and that progress in setting up key roles such as lead nurse, cardiac nurse educator and children's cardiac nurse specialist had been slow. Respondents felt that political and financial factors adversely affected recruitment.
Conclusion:
Since publication of the NHS England standards there has been some progress in the implementation, in children's cardiac services, of key nursing roles such as lead nurse and innovative nursing roles such as advanced nurse practitioner and research nurse. The findings of this study have informed the latest edition of the RCN guidance, which now includes the role of senior research nurse.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Nursing Implementation
The five steps to implementing effective nursing care include reassessing the patient, reviewing and revising the existing nursing care plan, organizing the resources and care delivery, anticipating and preventing complications, and implementing nursing interventions.
01:26Cardiac Catheterization IV: Nursing Management
01:24Nursing Process for Patient and Caregiver Teaching II: Planning and Implementation
01:21Interdisciplinary Care: The Health Care Team-I
Physicians
The physician's primary responsibility is to diagnose illness and direct the medical or surgical treatment of the condition. The authority to admit patients to a healthcare agency or institution and practice care within that setting is granted to physicians by the healthcare agency or institution...
01:17Ethical Dilemmas I
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...
01:30Specialized Care Centers and Settings-II
Rural health centers are specialized care facilities in remote locations with very few medical personnel. The primary care providers who run the centers are mostly Registered Nurse Practitioners. Here, emergency treatment is provided to critically ill or injured patients before they are transferred to the closest hospital. Fortunately, due to advancement in technology, many rural healthcare facilities and professionals have easy access to diagnostic and treatment...