ADVANCING HEALTHCARE PRACTICE

Patients First - Supporting Nurse-led Innovation in Practice

This programme has been made possible by a new and forward thinking partnership between FoNS and the Burdett Trust for Nursing.

* JUNE 2010 - NEW CALL FOR APPLICATIONS ANNOUNCED *

* CLOSING DATE 10TH SEPTEMBER 2010 *

About the programme

The Patients First Programme provides support and facilitation to clinically based nurse-led teams to help them to develop, implement and evaluate locally focused innovations that improve patient care in any healthcare setting across the UK.

Over a period of 12 months, the Patients First Programme provides:

• Help to keep a central focus on the patient and/or service users and the issues that matter to them the most
• Advice on developing effective project plans/proposals
• Encouragement to identify and make links with people who may be able to offer support locally
• Access to practice development tools and resources
• A workshop programme of support and development that will bring together the nurse-led teams to explore and enable effective strategies for developing and changing practice and provide opportunities for networking and sharing
• Facilitation in the workplace to enable the development of knowledge and skills in leading and facilitating sustainable changes in practice and improvements in care
• Peer mentorship linking up team leaders with those who have completed similar initiatives
• Support with publishing and active dissemination
• Funding of up to £3000

To date, 15 project teams have been recruited. The first 7 project teams were recruited in Autumn 2009 and a further 8 projects were recruited in February 2010. More details about each of these projects can be found by clicking here.

Call for applications

We are delighted to announce a new call for applications and are seeking to recruit 15 project teams to the Patients First Programme. The closing date for this round of applications is Friday 10th September 2010.

All potential applicants are strongly advised to first read through the application and guidance packs and then to contact Diana Calcraft via email: diana.calcraft@fons.org or by telephone: 0207 233 5750, to informally discuss your ideas/proposal. This ensures that, in principle, your idea/proposal fits with the general focus of the programme and provides an opportunity to discuss the support and facilitation that is available from FoNS and how this can be tailored to meet the individual needs of applicants. We have also prepared some frequently asked questions about the programme which you may find helpful to read.

Click here to download an Application and Guidance Pack

Click here to download Frequently Asked Questions

Only one copy of the application form (i.e. Part 1, 2 and 3) is required. This should be sent by post to arrive no later than Friday 10th September 2010.