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RCN INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT

WORLD IN BRIEF – 19 November 2009

Awards

Presentation of the Robert Tiffany international award

The presentations took place last week of the prestigious Robert Tiffany International
Award sponsored by the RCN at the Nursing Standards 2009 awards. Paula Hancock, a
senior nurse lecture at the University of Sheffield, won this honour in recognition of her
work in developing a recognised European-wide occupational health nursing master’s
degree, offered online and by distance learning.

After Paula’s department made its’ diploma in occupational health nursing available to
Danish nurses, a grant from the European Union’s Leonardo da Vinci scheme enabled
seven countries to successfully collaborate on harmonising their specialist qualifications.

Christina Jones, nurse consultant in critical care follow-up at St Helens and Knowsley
Teaching Hospital NHS Trust in Merseyside, received a commendation for her
international research project on development and evaluation of a diary record about the
time patients spent unconscious in intensive care.

Consultation Response

RCN responds to UK health sector involvement in international

development

The RCN responded to a consultation on towards NHS guidance for UK health sector
involvement in international development issued in August 2009 by the international
division of the Department of Health. Our submission supports the scope and content of
this proposed framework, emphasising overseas development or humanitarian work
requires experienced multi-disciplinary teams and it is essential that any new policy
recognises the value of nurses and other health care professionals.

We highlighted how the RCN provides support and information to nurses wishing to
undertake international humanitarian work through our virtual online network and joint
conferences, seminars and events with non-Government organisations. Our submission is
available on our website.

Education

Reducing the gap between nurse education and clinical practice

The RCN’s alliance, the International Council of Nurses along with the World Health
Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean regional office, recently developed a framework on
reducing the gap and improving the interface between education and service. This
framework seeks to address concerns on the perceived gap between new graduates’
educational preparation for practice and service providers’ expectations. It identifies key
issues and challenges that include:

• Acceptance of the need and value of lifelong learning

• Quality of leadership presence in either the service and/or education to shape and
influence transition
• Adequate curriculum/experience to prepare for teamwork and working with diverse
cultural patterns
• Adequate resources and equipment to meet patient care and learning needs
• Availability and/or quality of clinical placements.

The framework highlights these issues impact on retention of newly-qualified nurses and
their transition to effective members of the care team as well as affecting safe patient care.

Employment and Social Affairs

European legal ruling on right to compensatory holiday in case of illness

The European Court of Justice issued a ruling this month that workers who are ill
while on annual leave or whose sickness prevents them from taking annual leave have
the right to compensatory leave. The ECJ decided that neither national laws nor
collective agreements can deny an entitlement to deferred annual leave where a
worker requests it.

The ECJ issued this judgement using the Working Time Directive that stipulates
employees have a right to a minimum of four week’s annual leave. Their opinion
points out that entitlement to paid annual leave is a particularly important principle of
Community social law from which there can be no derogations and further builds on a
previous ruling that workers have the right to carry over annual leave in cases of
sickness absence.

Health Services

Launch of UK-based international health links centre website

The UK International Health Links Centre is a new initiative that aims to enhance access
to health care in the developing world by promoting partnerships that will increase the
number and skills in their health workforce. The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
has a two-year grant from the UK’s Department for International Development to progress
this work.

The IHLC will provide independent advice and guidance to strengthen existing as well as
develop links between NHS organisations across the UK with health organisations in the
development world. They will signpost UK partners to developing country health plans,
to tools for evaluating the impact of their work and to appropriate agencies for health
professionals interested in voluntary or humanitarian work.

Public Health

EU-US joint task force formed to reduce the spread of resistant-bacteria

Earlier this month at a summit meeting of the EU and the US, they agreed to create a
joint task force to combat antimicrobial resistance. This task force, with the support
of the World Health Organization, will co-operate on issues concerning the use of
antimicrobials and hygiene in health care as well as find incentives to initiate research
and development of new antimicrobials.

The joint task force will produce an action plan and monitor recommended activities
through regular progress reports. They will focus on urgent antimicrobial resistance
issues covering prevention of both health care and community-associated drug-
resistant infections as well as strategies for introducing new antimicrobial drug
through intensified co-operation.

The European Commission’s agency, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and
Control, considers the rising level of resistant-bacteria is the most serious health threat
in Europe and the impact of human suffering and socioeconomic costs is probably
even greater in developing countries. A report issued in September 2009 on the
bacterial challenge: time to react from the ECDC and the European Medicines
Agency identified a requirement to develop new antibiotics to overcome infections
due to multidrug-resistant bacteria through a European and global strategy.

Research

Co-ordinating research on neurodegenerative illnesses across Europe

In July 2009, the European Commission issued a Recommendation for a pilot project
to co-ordinate research activities on neurodegenerative illnesses. In response to this,
MEPs adopted a resolution at last week’s plenary session of the European Parliament
supporting this Recommendation and calling for EU member states to develop a joint
programme of research to combat these illnesses, particularly Alzheimer’s and
Parkinson’s.

This resolution emphasises that research programmes should concentrate, as a

priority, on early diagnostic tests, research into risk factors (such as the environment)
and criteria for early diagnosis are crucial in the fight against the disease.

Diary 2009

1 July to 31 December Swedish Presidency of the European Union Website for

the Swedish Presidency in English
23 November Extraordinary meeting of the European Parliament
Committee on Culture and Education in Strasbourg Draft
Agenda

23 to 26 November European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg Draft

Agenda

24 November RCN event on international health: how to make a

difference in Edinburgh, contact erin.gray@rcn.org.uk or
phone 0131 662 6173

26 to 27 November Education, Youth and Culture Council of Ministers meet in

Brussels Draft Agenda

30 November to 1 December Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs

Council of Ministers in Brussels (awaiting agenda)

30 November to 1 December European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education

in Brussels (awaiting agenda)

30 November to 1 December European Parliament Committee on Women’s Rights and

Gender Equality in Brussels (awaiting agenda)

1 to 2 December European Parliament Committee on Employment and

Social Affairs in Brussels (awaiting agenda)

Next Edition: Thursday 3 December 2009

For further information contact:

Gabrielle Levy RCN European and International Information Assistant

Email: gabrielle.levy@rcn.org.uk
Tel: 020 7647 3929

James Bridge RCN EU/International Adviser

Email: james.bridge@rcn.org.uk
Tel: 020 7647 3595