References
District nurse apprenticeship standard—next steps for district nursing
The NHS Long Term Plan (NHS, 2019) points the way forward for the service, recognising concerns about the growing and ageing population, staffing and funding, while highlighting opportunities for improving healthcare provision and health outcomes. It sets out strategies for a new service model for the 21st century, specifically highlighting the need to ‘boost out-of-hospital care’ and ‘focus on population health’. This is set within the context of the changing role of the district nurse in response to increasingly complex care being delivered within the home, earlier discharge from hospital and increasing comorbidity (Green et al, 2017). The value of community and primary care in the development and delivery of care is well recognised, with district nurses (DNs) identified as core members of neighbourhood teams.This recognition of the contribution of DNs and district nursing teams comes at a time when the number of students entering specialist practitioner DN programmes is falling despite an increase in 2014/15 (Queen's Nursing Institute (QNI), 2018). This is compounded by reduced funding for continuing professional development (CPD) for registered nurse and midwives (House of Commons Health Committee, 2018).
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