The status of nurses in social care

One of my most thought-provoking conversations this month has been with Deborah Sturdy, the Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care in England. Having met Deborah previously, I remain in awe of the impact that she has had in raising the profile of nursing in social c are. However, as she says herself, the profile of social care sector nursing continues to need to be strengthened and understood both professionally and politically.

I want to share a quote from Gillespie (2023), who wrote on International Nurses Day celebrating the role of nursing in social care, to frame this piece:

‘From the nurse in a complex care at home provision who drives a multifaceted approach to bring people with complex health and care needs home. To the nursing associate who has led an initiative to reduce sedation in a care home for people with dementia and, in doing so, has seen falls reduce. Or the chief executive officer leading a group of care homes where they're seeing the health and wellbeing of their “families” improve in their care. Nursing in social care is often nurse-led and driven by person-centred practice.’