Mapping a career path for Adult Respiratory Nurses

The framework was developed by the BTS Respiratory Nurse Workforce Group, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, to help attract, train and retain the specialist nurse workforce of the future, addressing also training and development needs. The changes in “traditional” work practices we are seeing today during the pandemic have further confirmed the importance of skills and training within the NHS workforce.

Respiratory nurse specialists are an important component of any multi-disciplinary team, and increasingly so in integrated care services, many of which are nurse-led. Going forward, nurse specialists will no doubt play an ever important role in aiding patient care in the post-COVID-19 world.

However, despite the growing responsibilities and demands of the role, before today no standardised respiratory-specific framework was available to support the training and development needs of current  and aspiring respiratory nurses.

The framework breaks new ground by ensuring that respiratory nurses are able to see a clear career path ahead of them. It also provides a much needed reference framework in order to support the alignment of job descriptions and banding between Trusts.

In order to ensure nurses’ levels of experience and expertise are recognised, the framework aligns to the core competencies outlined in Agenda for Change.

As we celebrate the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife, this framework contributes to an important time of reflection on the skills, commitment and expert clinical care that nurses bring.

Sam Prigmore Consultant Nurse and co-chair of the framework development group:

“We know, from a recent workforce survey, that nearly 50% of the respiratory nurses surveyed intend to retire by 2026, which means future shortages need to be addressed now.

“We want to attract nurses to the respiratory specialty, confident they will enjoy a rewarding and fulfilling career, working within multi-disciplinary teams to provide the best possible care for patients with respiratory conditions.

“With this document we want to identify and formalise the skills and experience of specialist respiratory nurses at all levels, and define a clear career pathway for them across the NHS, but also to facilitate appraisals, improve training and at the same time, making the specialty more rewarding for those already working in it.”

The document is a tool which can be adapted to reflect the local context of specific roles within specialties and can be used by nurses and managers to:

• Map development against higher level practice standards and highlight training needs.
• Provide structure to ensure smooth succession.
• Enable nurses to maintain evidence of fitness to practice for registration.
• Identify the knowledge and skills required for individuals applying for new posts.
• Provide a professional assessment guide to for Respiratory nursing practice.

Jon Bennett, BTS Chair puts the framework in perspective:

“The World Health Organisation declared 2020 the year of the nurse, to highlight the vital role they provide in any health service and as a reminder that the world needs 9m more nurses and midwives by 2030. In the UK, already affected by a shortage of nursing staff, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has made this need patently clear. Many sectors of healthcare are feeling this shortage bite even more in these very difficult times, particularly in intensive care and respiratory medicine.

“With this new professional development framework for respiratory nurse specialists, the British Thoracic Society is focusing on the future of the profession.

“This is a landmark document in the development of specialist nursing. It is an integral part of our efforts to train, recruit and retain the skilled respiratory workforce that the NHS needs to be able to cope with the increasing workload it faces normally, and to be better prepared for unexpected and critical surges in demand such the one we are living through.”

Visit our Respiratory Nurse Workforce page to download a copy of the document.