The shape of caring review: what does it mean for mental health nursing?

Raising the Bar: Shape of Caring: A Review of the Future Education and Training of Registered Nurses and Care Assistants [Health Education England (HEE) 2015] is a timely report prompted by a number of official enquiries highlighting failures in some English hospitals to provide appropriate and compassionate care (Francis 2013, Keogh 2013). The review is a collaboration between the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and HEE, which is the commissioning organization for healthcare education in England. The rationale offered for the review is that the Francis (2013) and Keogh (2013) reports have mandated improvements in the education and training of nurses and care assistants in England, and thus the review attempts to provide a means for drawing these together into a coherent, integrated whole. The review also suggests that 'Healthcare needs to change from an illness-based, provider-led system towards a future vision of one that is patient-led, preventative in focus and offers care based closer to home' (HEE 2015:16). The Shape of Caring review is attempting an admittedly difficult task in seeking to foresee what might be required of the nursing and care professions 20 years hence. The premise underpinning the document is positive, referring to existing good practice and the need to celebrate this, the need to widen the skill set of nurses per se, and a reiteration of the importance of lifelong learning. The review report gives clear recognition of the association between quality education, research and improved patient care. It is particularly pleasing to see core areas of interest to mental health nursing highlighted in the review report. These include co-production, 'parity of esteem' between mental and physical health, public health, and person-centred, values-based nursing. These are aspirations that mental health nurses can make positive contributions to, and we would expect to see the profession take centre stage in driving developments to achieve such ideals. 18 references