Welcome to the Nurses Webpage

Introduction
Over the last few years the role of the Paediatric Rheumatology Clinical Nurse Specialist (PRCNS) has become increasingly central to the speciality of paediatric rheumatology. Historically PRCNS?s, within the British Society of Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology (BSPAR), have been grouped together with Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists under the umbrella of Allied Health Professionals (AHP?s). Whilst continuing to work closely with our AHP colleagues it has been increasingly necessary to also distinguish ourselves as a separate entity, in order to develop and promote the role of the PRCNS where we have the very real potential to influence practice. There are currently, according to our recent email audit, 19 nurses who are members of BSPAR. However we are aware through our networking of a total of 29 nurses who are working on a regular basis with children and young people with rheumatological conditions. Predominantly PRCNS?s are based in Tertiary Centres and share care with colleagues in both secondary and primary care ensuring that children and young people with rheumatological conditions have expert specialist care and can be manage as near to their own homes as possible. Many of the PRCNS?s are members of the RCN, Paediatric Rheumatology Specialist Nurses Group and further information can be found at www.rcn.org

Aims of Group
  • To provide a forum to support all nurses involved in the care of children and young people with rheumatological conditions
  • To facilitate networking and the sharing of ideas to encourage evidence based practice
  • To promote the implementation of best practice through benchmarking and standard setting at a national level
Link Members for BSPAR
Pam Whitworth is the Chair of the BSPAR and RCN nurses group. She is a member of the BSPAR executive representing the Nurses group.
Pam works as a PRCNS in Birmingham.

Her contact details are:
Pamela.Whitworth@BCH.nhs.uk
Telephone: 0121 333 8219 or 021 333 9999 bleep 55169

Gill Jackson is secretary to both BSPAR and RCN nurse groups, taking minutes for the meetings and maintaining an up to date membership records.
Gill works as a PRCNS at Leeds.

Her contact details are:
gill.jackson@leedsth.nhs.uk
Telephone: 0113 392 6199

Liz Hutchinson is the primary RCN contact for the BSPAR and the RCN special interest group and is responsible for forwarding relevant emails to the membership. Liz works as a PRCNS at Nottingham. She is also an Ordinary Member of the BSPAR executive

Her contact details are:
Liz.Hutchinson@nuh.nhs.uk
Telephone: 0115 9345003 (Mailbox)

Group Activities

  • Networking, this is achieved by telephone contact, regular email contact and meetings. Any member of the group is willing to be contacted to provide support and information.
  • Email, a mailing list has been developed so that we can share information amongst ourselves. If you wish to be part of this please contact Gill.

Meetings
BSPAR
  • Twice yearly BSPAR AHP meetings ? most recent meeting 07.03.07 held in Birmingham ? in future minutes will only be available on the BSPAR website, ?Members Area? only. BSPAR members can claim travel expenses from BSPAR for these meetings. To become a member please contact Daniel Fishman at Daniel.Fishman@ldh.nhs.uk .
Nurse Group Meetings
  • Annual Nurses Meeting - which are open to all nurses working with children and young people with rheumatological conditions and will be rotated throughout the country:
Minutes of nurse group meetings(only available in member's area of website)
  • May 2009 in Edinburgh - These meetings have been generously supported by an educational grant from Wyeth.
NON-BSPAR
  • Annual Nurses Meeting ? which are open to all nurses working with children and young people with rheumatological conditions and are, as of this year are going to be rotated the country:
These meetings have been generously supported by an educational grant from Wyeth

RAISING OUR PROFILE PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE
  • All Party Parliamentary Group Inflammatory
    Arthritis (APPIAG)
Liz Hutchinson (Nottingham)

  • Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA)
Nicky Freeman (Birmingham)
Contact: 0121 333 8219
Email: Nicky.Freeman@BCH.nhs.uk

  • Athritis Research Campaign (arc)
Pauline Barnes
Contact: 01865 737341 answer machine
Email: Pauline.Barnes@noc.anglox.nhs.uk

  • Arthritis Care
Helen Strike (Bristol)
Telephone: 0117 9596327 Email: Helen.Strike@ubht.nhs.uk

  • BSPAR executive -
Pam Whitworth & Liz Hutchinson

  • British Health Professionals in Rheumatology (BHPR)
Nicky Kennedy (Wexham Park)
Email: Nicola.Kennedy@hwph-tr.nhs.uk

  • Children?s Chronic Arthritis Association (CCAA)
Pam Whitworth

  • National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS)
Liz Hutchinson

  • National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE)
Helen Strike, Liz Hutchinson, Pam Whitworth & Polly Livermore Email: Liverp@gosh.nhs.uk

  • Paediatric Rheumatology European Society (PRES)
Polly Livermore

  • RCN
Pam Whitworth & Liz Hutchinson


DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL GUIDELINES

  • Royal College of Nursing (2003)
    Assessing, Managing and Monitoring Biologic Therapies; guidance for rheumatology practitioners. London: RCN. Available at www.rcn.org.uk Lead Paediatric Author, Liz Hutchinson.

  • Royal College of Nursing (2004)
    Subcutaneous Methotrexate in Inflammatory Arthritis. London: RCN. Available at www.rcn.org.uk
    Lead Paediatric Author, Polly Livermore.


USEFUL RESOURCES

USEFUL WEBSITES
Arthritis Research Campaign www.arc.org.uk

Arthritis Care www.arthritiscare.org.uk
CHAT booklets are available from the above website please note these are large documents

BSPAR www.bspar.org.uk

British Health Professionals in Rheumatology

British Society of Rheumatology (BSR) wwww.bsr.org.uk

Children?s Chronic Arthritis Association www.ccaa.org.uk

National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) www.rheumatoid.org.uk

Paediatric Rheumatology International

Trials Organisation (PRINTO) www.printo.it



The above and many other useful resources can be found on the USEFUL LINKS section of the BSPAR website

REFERENCES

1. BSPAR (2007) Position Statement on Professionals Working in Paediatric Rheumatology. Available on BSPAR website.

2. Department of Health (2004) The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (NHS KSF) and the Development and Review Process. London: DH

3. Department of Health (2004) Building a Safer NHS for Patients. The Chief Pharmaceutical Officers Report. DOH, chapters 3.4.5 & 6.

4. Department of Health (2004) NHS Job Evaluation Handbook Second Edition (Agenda for Change). London: DH

5. Hutchinson, L & Strike H, (2006) Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) in: Glasper, A., McEwing, G, & Richardson, J. (Eds.) Oxford Handbook or Children?s and Young People?s Nursing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

6. Jackson, G., (2006) Paediatric Rheumatology. In: Hill, J. (ed.) Rheumatology Nursing ? A Creative Approach. 2nd Ed. London: Whiley

7. National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) (2004) Patient Safety Alert- Reducing the harm caused by Oral Methotrexate. NPSA.

8. Nursing and Midwifery Council (2004) Code of Professional Conduct: Standards for Conduct, Performance and Ethics. London: NMC (2004 currently under review).

9. Royal College of Nursing (2004) Services for children and young people: preparing nurses for future roles. London: RCN

10. Royal College of Nursing (2004) Administering subcutaneous methotrexate for inflammatory arthritis. London: RCN

11. Royal College of Nursing (2004) Adolescent Transitional Care. London: RCN.

12. Royal College of Nursing (2005) Competencies: Competency framework and guidance for developing paediatric epilepsy nurse specialist services. London: RCN

13. Royal College of Nursing (2006) Telephone advice lines for people with long term conditions: guidance for nursing practitioners. London: RCN




Please note that BSPAR does not make any guarantee as to the validity of the information contained in any of the linked internet sites.

British Society of Paediatric & Adolescent Rheumatology
Site developed and maintained by Dataphiles Ltd
© Dataphiles Ltd. 2005

BSPAR is a Charitable Company registered in England and Wales. Company number 06978211. Registered Charity # 1132967
Registered office: Department of Rheumatology, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Eaton Road, Liverpool, L12 2AP