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Ways to keeping up to date as a newly qualified SCPHN practitioner
Nova Corcoran (MSc Public health award leader) and Dwynwen Spargo (SCPHN award leader) at the University of Glamorgan, Wales.
Total word count: 1679 (with key words)
Key words: SCPHN, practice, conference, up to date, development, professional, journal, news, media, forum
One of the difficulties facing a newly qualified Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (HV, SN, OHN) is the question of how the SCPHN practitioner continues to keep abreast of the latest research and development within the public health arena. With professional registration onto the third part of the nursing and midwifery council (NMC) register and employment in their new discipline, it raises the question of how a SCPHN practitioner can continue to keep ahead of the latest public health issues. With professional registration there is a requirement for the SCPHN practitioner to continue their professional development and practice within the field of public health nursing. The first year or two in a new discipline will be spent consolidating learning and developing experience. Possibly new areas of interest will become apparent and with it a thirst for additional training or study to develop expertise in a particular avenue. However, regardless of specific interests, the newly qualified SCPHN no longer has a cohort of peers, access to academic libraries, electronic resources and guidance or motivation from tutors to inform or stimulate their interest in contemporary public health issues.
There may be many reasons why keeping up to date with new developments can be arduous; time to consolidate learning in a new role may be sparse, access to appropriate materials may be problematic and priorities for workload management in direct competition. Journals, newspaper articles and the media (social and terrestrial) are an obvious start as a way to keep up to date, but this alone may not be enough to satisfy both professional registration and individual SCPHN development.SCPHN practitioners have a range of options to assist in keeping up to date; from signing up for email alerts from government departments to engaging in forums to critically discuss and explore new research, guidance and the sharing of innovative approaches to practice. This article identifies and suggests a range of strategies and solutions that a practitioner can employ to keep to date in a new and busy SCPHN practitioner role.
Watching or listening to the news may seem like an obvious task, but one which many may neglect. Ten minutes of news in the morning or evening can help retain an engagement in current affairs – many of which are linked to health. This ensures that a SCPHN is aware of key topics such as new vaccines, changing legislation, outbreaks of specific diseases or current health issues.There are a number of programmes on the radio and television which are connected tohealth. For example Question time, Newsnight, Panorama (all BBC) and Dispatches (Channel 4) along with Medical Matters (BBC radio 4) could potentially have stories of interest to SCPHN practitioners. Newspaper websites are also pertinent and some have directly focussed sections on public health issues.For example The Guardian newspaper has a Healthcare network with a public health hub.
There are a number of useful weekly or monthly alerts from organizations or websites that ensure key health issues are never missed. Government departments regularly consult on policy issues, for example, the Department of Health (2012) and the Welsh Government (2012) have a list of public consultations, the majority of which are relevant to the SCPHN practitioner. Other organizations offer alerts with the latest health issues, usually via email. The Health Protection Agency (2012) offer weekly reports on key health protection issues online and via email. Specific journals also offer updates or table of contents for each publication, for example the Journal of School Nursing. Alternatives to traditional media are now available through social media channels such as Facebook or twitter where a host of public health organizations post updates to topics of interest including charity groups and international organizations.
Once SCPHN university courses are completedjournal access may become particularly problematic. Single subscriber access to some journals can be expensive, although many workplaces often offer journal accessto specific journals. In addition some organizations publish their research papers on line with free access. The British Medical Journal (BMJ) offer free access to their journal and other large journal publishers such as Biomed Central publish a wide range of open access journals.Other large organizations post research papers on their websites, for example the NMC or the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Some major journals such as The Lancet, and large universities such as the US based John Hopkins University allow access to journals, debates, seminars and lectures via podcasts. I-Tunes also haveavailable a wide range of global health podcasts such as the World Health Organization (WHO) podcast, in addition to somenursing related podcasts such as the nursing show.
Attending conferences and training events offers countless ways of keeping informed of developments and increasing specialist knowledge. It provides opportunities to network with other professionals with a vested interest and engage in stimulating debate. It also enables participation in activities and seminars, alongside providing a platform for self-publicity. Financial costs to the individual and being granted study leave can be an obstacle, but there are many conferences that require only a nominal fee or are free on a first come first served basis. For example, The Guardian (2012) newspaper is currently hosting a series of Public Health dialogue evening events which have free but limited spaces.
Highlighting specific areas of interest or specific conferences through an annual appraisal is a good way of ensuring study time is granted. Both the Department of Health and Public Health Wales websites offer email alerts which include information on upcoming training and conference dates. Many journals such as Community Practitioner, the British Journal of School Nursing and Nursing in Practice have alerts for conference dates and agendas. There are also a range of networks which already exist both nationally (such as the All Wales Sexual health network) and locally (for example the Greater Manchester Public Health Network) which alongside being a good information provider, promote various conferences and events. An additional suggestion is adding specific websites to the favourites bar of a computer and taking 30 minutes every week to check through them for new publications, conferences or training events.
Sharing good practice is a good way of making use of limited resources. The SCPHN professional could develop their own library of books although this would require some management and cost. The storage and maintenance of hardcopy texts could prove problematic and extremely resource intensive. Establishing and maintaining strong links with a NHS trust library or local health board may be the most appropriate method. The use of USB sticks for all members of the SCPHN team to save and store electronic resources for continuing professional development is a useful and easy way for information to be disseminated and shared between colleagues.
One of the best ways of sharing and disseminating practice is join or set up a practice based group or forum where ideas, best practice or problems can be shared, disseminated or debated. These groups can vary in structure, size, purpose and format depending on the purpose of the group. Setting up a group or forum can be logistically complexand a wide range of issues need to be considered. Identifying a clear aim of a forum or group is essential. Clarifying if the group aims to disseminate evidence or solve problems will also help to dictate who should attend and what the tasks of the group will be. Each base, area or individual could bring a new article, a problem, guidance or an upcoming event to the forum on a rotational basis. Representatives from each base or area could feedback from their notes or record the forum content on a dictaphone to share with other colleagues as necessary.
A group coordinator will need to be identified who can lead and organize the group. Length, location, frequency and schedules of meetings will also need clear thought. When planning to meet as a group a good guide is to aim for one hour, once a month. Identify a location that the majority of the group can access, or consider rotating through different venues. Use a media source;email, phone, social media or paper noticeboards as ways of contacting, arranging or keeping in touch with others. If a forum seems too labour and time intensive, additional time at the end of staff meetings could be requested and used as a basis for continuing professional development.
As SCPHN practitioners are university graduates they are in a good position to publish in journals. Journals do not just look for original, empirical research. Consider writing work that adds to the evidence based, or reviews, analyses or challenges current practice. Journals also publish items such as clinical updates, features, letters to the editor, front of line stories and systematic literature reviews. Community Practitioner, British Journal of School Nursing, Occupational Health [at work], Nursing Standard, Nursing Times, Nursing Children and Young People or Journal of Family Health Care would be appropriate for SCPHN practitioners to start writing and publishing.Research the journal itself, for example Appleton & Ratnaike (2008) have a number of suggestions for publishing in Community Practitioner. Paper based journals are not the only avenues open for publication and dissemination of SCPHN practice. Internet blogs, websites, newspaper articles or practice based newsletters are also potential locations of where a SCPHN practitioner could write and publish.
Keeping up to date is essential to the SCPHN practitioner, and not just because professional registration stipulates this. Despite challenges there are a wide variety of ways for SCPHN practitioners to keep up to date with latest health issues, events, debates and evidence. With growing technological advances some of these ways will become even easier. Don’t be the SCPHN practitioner who is disengaged with the latest ideas and practices, instead be the SCPHN practitioner who is savvy, wise and up to date with the latest developments in ever changing field of public health.
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