Community Nurse Workforce Planning Project

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to explore the potential for developing a flexible and innovative approach to community workforce planning that took account of the synergies between community health needs and the expertise and skill sets of community nurses. Workshops were held with community nurses in three localities within NHS Highland in 2010 and at the beginning of 2011. Information that emerged from the workshops provided a picture of the responsibilities and activities that community nurses are engaged in, as well as some of the challenges of delivering a service across the diverse localities in NHS Highland. In May 2011 a wider stakeholder workshop was held, facilitated by one of the NMSH CHP general managers. The workshop considered the findings of the project to date, and proposed some changes. These changes were incorporated into the final report.