Nursing charity launches policy think tank
A nursing charity is today launching its new think tank that aims to make better use of the “incredible” problem-solving skills of nurses and midwives.
The Florence Nightingale Foundation (FNF)’s new Policy and Influence Think Tank has pledged to utilise the nursing and midwifery voice to tackle “the major health and care issues of the day”.
“Nurses and midwives hold a huge amount of professional knowledge and are incredible problem solvers”
Natasha North
To mark the launch, FNF is holding an event in Reading focusing on the issue of speaking up.
Among the speakers at the event are Sir Robert Francis KC, who led the seminal investigation into care failings at the former Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, as well as nurse and Nursing Times columnist Helené Donnelly, who helped expose the crisis at the organisation.
Also speaking will be NHS trust nurse directors; student nurses; leaders from NHS England, Nuffield Trust and the Council of Deans of Health; and various FNF representatives.
Nursing Times is at the event – titled Speaking Up: Leading for Patient, Staff and Public Safety – and will provide coverage of the key sessions.
Professor Greta Westwood, chief executive of the FNF, said the think tank would “create a platform to increase our professions’ influence on health and care policy”.
The think tank will have strong connections with the FNF Academy, through which the charity leads its leadership and development programmes for nurses and midwives.
Dr Natasha North, FNF’s director of academy, said: “Nurses and midwives hold a huge amount of professional knowledge and are incredible problem solvers.
“FNF’s Academy members are the most senior and experienced nurses and midwives in the country.
“Our policy think tank will involve these nursing and midwifery leaders in generating solutions to the challenges of reforming and transforming health care.”
