Work began on the
Respiratory Health & Well-being Service Framework (RHWSF) in the spring of
2007. It became clear that the emerging
standards would require mapping for the nursing workforce, to
assess their skills and competencies against those required to
deliver the standards, in order to plan appropriate learning and
development.
It was at this stage
that Dr Carolyn Harper (Former Chair, RHWSF Steering Group) invited NIPEC to
facilitate and assist the nursing group within respiratory care
Northern Ireland in this piece of work.
During initial discussions it was decided that a project
concentrating on asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) management and care would be of most benefit to
deliver within an achievable time frame.
The aim of this project was to produce a Learning and Development
Strategy for nursing and relating competency framework to support the implementation of the Asthma and COPD
Respiratory Service Framework standards.
To assist with the production of the
Learning and Development Strategy a project manager was appointed
in January 2008. Sara Rafferty, a respiratory nurse
specialist in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, took up
post in February 2008, working with NIPEC on a part-time basis to
manage the progress of the project.
A Steering Group
was convened 25 January 2008 and a
project approach agreed. Click here for
