Providing you with the key knowledge to help consolidate your degree course, The Essential Guide to Becoming a Staff Nurse will enable you to become an autonomous and accountable practitioner. Covering everything a newly registered nurse needs to know.

Table of Contents

• About the Author
• Acknowledgements
• Preface
• Reference
• Chapter 1: Getting the job you want
• Introduction
• The role of the staff nurse
• The Health and Social Care Act 2012
• The job description
• The application form
• The personal statement
• The curriculum vitae
• Psychometric testing
• Numeracy screening
• The interview
• Practicalities
• What to wear for interview
• Applying for a position overseas
• Conclusion
• References
• Chapter 2: Crossing the threshold: the role and function of the staff nurse
• Introduction
• The transition
• The bitter sweet – reality shock
• Nursing and the NHS
• Nursing careers
• Modernising nursing careers
• Nursing careers framework
• Health and society
• The role
• The Career Framework for Health and the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework
• The job description
• Developing your role
• Conclusion
• References
• Chapter 3: Support systems and preceptorship
• Introduction
• Preceptorship
• Period of preceptorship
• Preparation for preceptors
• Documenting activity
• Competence
• Lack of competence
• Induction
• e-Learning
• Skills passport
• Conclusion
• References
• Chapter 4: Accountability and delegation
• Introduction
• Accountability and responsibility
• Delegation, accountability and responsibility
• Principles of delegation
• Assessing needs and delegating
• Who should carry out the delegated activity?
• Supervising others
• Conclusion
• References
• Chapter 5: Using the evidence
• Introduction
• Definitions of terms
• Evidence-based practice, research and quality improvement
• Five stages of evidence-based practice
• Integrating evidence-based practice into care delivery
• Challenges to implementation of evidence-based practice
• Conclusion
• References
• Chapter 6: Working with patients and their families
• Introduction
• The NHS Constitution
• The NHS complaints procedure
• Statement writing
• The statement
• Writing the statement
• Statement format and layout
• The introduction
• The narrative (the body of the statement)
• Summary
• Statement of truth
• References and appendices
• Nursing and Midwifery Council's investigations
• Resources
• Conclusion
• References
• Chapter 7: New ways of working: advancing nursing practice
• Introduction
• Accountability and responsibility
• Standards and guidance
• From novice to expert
• Competent nurses
• Proficient nurse
• Expert nurse
• Advanced nurse practitioner
• Becoming an advanced nurse practitioner
• Professional indemnity
• Nurse prescribing
• Non-medical prescribing
• Conclusion
• References
• Chapter 8: Becoming a manager
• Introduction
• The staff nurse as manager
• Leadership and management
• Change management
• Team working
• Managing conflict
• Conclusion
• References
• Chapter 9: Continuing professional and personal development
• Introduction
• Revalidation
• Appraisal
• What appraisal is and what appraisal is not
• The process
• The annual process
• The meeting
• Continuing professional development
• Recording
• Reflecting
• Tracking
• Planning
• Reviewing
• Professional development activities
• Storing the evidence required – the portfolio
• Conclusion
• References
• Chapter 10: Teaching, learning and assessing
• Introduction
• Standards of teaching, mentoring and assessing in practice
• The role of the stage 1 mentor
• Teaching and learning in the clinical setting
• The learning environment
• Frameworks for teaching and learning
• Behaviourism
• Humanism
• Adult learning
• Providing feedback to students
• Involving patients in clinical teaching
• Patient teaching
• Conclusion
• References