What will Senedd election candidates in South Wales West do for nursing?

Ask them yourself at our live, online Question Time event! Meet candidates and get their takes on the burning questions on your mind. We’ll be joined by candidates from political parties including Welsh Labour, the Welsh Conservatives, and Plaid Cymru.

No need to book in advance – just keep the link handy.

⏰ Thursday 4th March 6pm
🗣 Live in Welsh and English
🔗 Join on Zoom | Watch the Facebook livestream
ℹ RCN Events: Question Time South Wales West

Sefyllfa RCN Cymru ynglŷn ag Addysg Cyn-cofrestru

Y paratoad cychwynnol sy’n arwain at gymhwyster fel nyrs yw’r isadeiledd y mae’r holl faterion eraill sy’n gysylltiedig â nyrsio yn cael eu hadeiladu. Mae’r papur sefyllfa newydd hwn yn amlinellu’r blaenoriaethau a’r sefyllfaoedd sy’n dylanwadu ar Goleg Nyrsio Brenhinol (RCN) Cymru ynglŷn â meysydd addysgol allweddol yn y radd nyrsio cyn-cofrestru/israddedig.

Darganfu ymchwil yn 2014, a gynhaliwyd mewn naw o wledydd Ewropeaidd, fod gweithlu nyrsio sydd wedi cael ei addysgu yn well yn lleihau marwolaethau diangen. Mae cynnydd o 10% yn y nifer o nyrsys sydd wedi cael eu haddysgu at lefel gradd baglor mewn ysbyty yn gysylltiedig â gostyngiad o 7% mewn marwolaethau cleifion.

Egwyddorion Polisi

1. Bydd RCN Cymru yn hyrwyddo, drwy godi ymwybyddiaeth y cyhoedd a dylanwadu gwleidyddol, y rheidrwydd am radd nyrsio a chefnogi’r ddarpariaeth barhaus o addysg nyrsio o ansawdd uchel
2. Mae RCN Cymru yn cefnogi ehangu’r dull o fynediad i fyfyrwyr i’r rhaglen gradd mewn nyrsio. Mae hyn yn cynnwys model prentisiaeth cenedlaethol, dysgu o bell a dysgu rhan-amser
3. Mae RCN Cymru yn credu y dylai myfyrwyr nyrsio yng Nghymru gael eu cefnogi yn ariannol gan Lywodraeth Cymru a dylen nhw gael mynediad at ddulliau hyblyg o gymorth, gan gynnwys bwrsariaeth y GIG a chymorth ariannol arall, oherwydd nad yw’r un peth yn addas i bawb
4. Mae RCN Cymru yn cydnabod yr angen i sicrhau cynaliadwyedd ariannol a phroffesiynol nyrsio fel maes addysgu ac ymchwilio ffyniannus yn y sector addysg uwch

Darllenwch yr adroddiad llawn yn Gymraeg yma ac yn Saesneg yma.

The RCN Wales Position on Pre-registration Education

The initial preparation that leads to qualification as a nurse is the infrastructure on which all other issues related to nursing are built. This new position paper sets out the influencing priorities and positions of Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Wales on key educational areas in the pre-registration/undergraduate nursing degree.

Research in 2014, conducted across nine European countries, found that a better educated nursing workforce reduced unnecessary deaths. Every 10% increase in the number of bachelor degree-educated nurses within a hospital is associated with a 7% decline in patient mortality.

Policy Principles

1. RCN Wales will promote, by raising public awareness and political influencing, the necessity of the nursing degree and support the continued provision of high-quality nursing education
2. RCN Wales supports widening means of access for students to the nursing degree programme. This includes a national apprenticeship model, distance learning and part-time learning
3. RCN Wales believes nursing students in Wales should be supported financially by the Welsh Government and should have access to flexible methods of support, including the NHS bursary and other financial aids, as one size does not fit all
4. RCN Wales recognises the need to ensure the financial and professional sustainability of nursing as a flourishing teaching and research field in the higher education sector

Read the full report in English here and in Welsh here.

Gofal iechyd a nyrsio mewn carchardai yng Nghymru – Galwad i Weithredu

Beth yw nyrsio mewn carchardai? Pam mae’n bwysig?

Mae nyrsys mewn carchardai yn darparu gofal sylfaenol ar gyfer rhai o unigolion mwyaf bregus cymdeithas. Mae llawer o bobl sydd mewn carchar yn dod o’n cymunedau mwyaf difreintiedig ac mae ganddyn nhw iechyd gwael iawn. Amcangyfrifir bod 36% ohonyn nhw ag anabledd corfforol neu anabledd meddwl, o’i gymharu â 19% o’r boblogaeth yn gyffredinol.

Mae’r swyddogaethau y mae nyrsys yn eu cyflawni mewn carchardai yn amrywio o wella iechyd cyhoeddus drwy brofi rheolaidd ar gyfer hepatitis C, at gefnogi iechyd meddwl a darparu gofal lliniarol.

Yn yr adroddiad diweddaraf hwn, mae RCN Cymru yn galw ar Lywodraeth nesaf Cymru i gymryd camau gweithredu brys yn gysylltiedig â:

• recriwtio, cadw a datblygu gyrfaoedd nyrsys cofrestredig mewn carchardai
• dyrannu cyllid a ddarparwyd i fyrddau iechyd ar gyfer gofal iechyd mewn carchardai, gan sicrhau bod perthynas glir i‘r boblogaeth a wasanaethir a’u hanghenion
• effaith anghymesur pandemig y COVID-19 mewn carchardai
• cefnogaeth ar gyfer pobl gydag anableddau dysgu mewn carchardai.

Darllenwch yr adroddiad llawn yn Saesneg yma ac yn Gymraeg yma.

NEW REPORT: Prison health care and nursing in Wales - A Call for Action

What is prison nursing? Why is it important?

Prison nurses provide primary care for some of the most vulnerable individuals in society. Many people in prison come from from our most deprived communities and have very poor health. 36% are estimated to have a physical or mental disability, compared with 19% in the general population.

The roles prison nurses perform range from improving public health by routine testing for hepatitis C, to supporting mental health and providing palliative care.

In this latest report, RCN Wales calls on the next Welsh Government to take urgent actions relating to:

• recruitment, retention and career development of registered nurses in prison settings
• allocation of funding provided to health boards for prison health care, ensuring there is a clear relationship to the population served and their needs
• the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in prison settings
• support for people with learning disabilities in prison settings.

Read the full report in English here and in Welsh here.

NEW: CAMPAIGN PACKS FOR RCN MEMBERS!

Request yours today and get involved in the Vote for Nursing campaign!

In each pack you’ll find merchandise including pens, posters, hand sanitiser, extremely stylish red face masks and more. In short, everything you need to help get everybody talking about nursing as we head into another election season in Wales.

Whether you give the contents away or keep all your treasures to yourself is up to you. But when it arrives, we’d love it if you took a selfie and tagged us on your social media channel of choice!

If you’re an RCN member, just email us your postal address today at Policy&PublicAffairs.wales@rcn.org.uk to get yours!

NEWYDD: PECYNNAU YMGYRCH AR GYFER AELODAU RCN!

Gofynnwch am eich un chi heddiw a chymryd rhan yn yr ymgyrch Pleidleisiwch dros Nyrsio!

Mae nwyddau ym mhob pecyn gan gynnwys pinnau ysgrifennu, posteri, hylif diheintio dwylo, masg wyneb coch smart iawn a rhagor. Yn gryno, popeth rydych chi ei angen i helpu i gael pawb yn siarad am nyrsio wrth i ni fynd i dymor etholiad arall yng Nghymru.

Chi sydd i ddewis os ydych chi’n rhoi’r cynnwys i rywun arall neu’n cadw’r trysorau i chi eich hun. Ond pan fydd yn cyrraedd, byddem wrth ein bodd os byddech chi’n cymryd hun-lun a’n tagio ni ar unrhyw sianel cyfryngau cymdeithasol.

Os ydych chi’n aelod o RCN anfonwch eich cyfeiriad post dros yr e-bost i Policy&PublicAffairs.wales@rcn.org.uk i gael eich pecyn chi!

New report: Nursing and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Out of 2,011 RCN Wales members surveyed between May and June 2020, over a third (34%) felt less valued by the Welsh Government compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic - the highest rate amongst all UK nations. 27% also felt less valued by senior executive management in their health organisation.

What lessons should the Welsh Government, NHS Wales and other agencies learn from the first wave of the pandemic?

In this new paper the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Wales sets out three key priorities for the Welsh Government, NHS Wales and relevant agencies and employers to commit to going forward.

1. Recognise the necessity of nursing and professional nursing advice at a national and local level
2. Ensure timely access to COVID-19 testing, test results and personal protective equipment (PPE)
3. Support the health and wellbeing of nursing staff

Read the full report here.

Y Gweithlu Nyrsio Yng Nghymru 2020: adroddiad newydd gan RCN Cymru

Yn ein hadroddiad blynyddol diwethaf ar gyflwr y gweithlu nyrsio yng Nghymru, rydym yn dod i’r casgliad y dylai Llywodraeth nesaf Cymru wneud popeth gall ei wneud i gynyddu nifer y nyrsys cofrestredig.

Mae hyn yn golygu ehangu’r mynediad i’r radd nyrsio a chefnogi myfyrwyr nyrsio i astudio. Ar gyfer nyrsys sydd eisoes yn gweithio, mae hefyd yn golygu cynnig tâl teg, cefnogi gweithio’n hyblyg, a chynyddu nifer yr uwch swyddi nyrsio. Bydd hyn yn helpu i gadw nyrsys profiadol yn y GIG ac yn lleihau’r ddibyniaeth ar asiantaethau drud.

Mae'r prinder nyrsys yn arbennig o amlwg mewn lleoliadau cymunedol a chartrefi gofal, ond nid ydynt ar eu pen eu hunain. Dylid ymestyn darpariaethau yng nghyfraith Cymru ar gyfer gofal nyrsio diogel ac effeithiol er mwyn cynnwys wardiau plant, wardiau iechyd meddwl a nyrsio cymunedol.

Darllenwch yr adroddiad llawn yn Gymraeg yma ac yn Saesneg yma.

The Nursing Workforce in Wales 2020: a new report from RCN Wales

In our latest annual report on the state of the nursing workforce in Wales, we find that the next Welsh Government should do everything it can to increase the number of registered nurses.

This means widening access to the nursing degree and supporting nursing students to study. For existing nurses, it also means offering fair pay, supporting flexible working, and increasing the number of senior nursing posts. This will help retain experienced nurses in the NHS and reduce reliance on expensive agencies.

The nursing shortage is particularly great in community and care home settings, but they are not alone. Existing provisions in Welsh law for safe and effective nursing care should be extended to cover children’s wards, mental health wards and community nursing.

Read the full report in English here and in Welsh here.