A vision for nursing: NZNO's new professional services manager outlines her vision for the profession. This vision demands that nurses and nursing take a long-term view of where the profession should be in 2020.

I was delighted to begin in the position of NZNO's professional services manager (PSM) last month. In considering applying for the position, I spent some time reflecting on my past experience and considering what value I could add to NZNO. Nursing is a career which offers such versatility. I have pursued clinical education, management and advisory roles in the past and yet have only had a handful of employers. Few professions offer such options for developing diverse interests and skill sets, while retaining employment stability. It is no wonder nurses are capable of adapting to multiple roles and are present throughout society. One of the great privileges of my new position will be to continue working with such a dedicated staff team. Each and everyone is committed to NZNO and working for you to achieve NZNO's strategic goals.

After years of stability, there have been a number of changes to the professional services team in recent months, so consolidation of the team will be a priority. The workload is intense and further staff will be required if NZNO is to consolidate and expand its position as the lead nursing organisation. The growth in membership, the impact of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act, an increase in consultation, policy and legislative review work, a rise in the number of employer proposals for change, greater engagement with NZNO campaigns and sector groups, increased college and section numbers, representation on more national reference and advisory groups, and more external meetings have had a significant impact on our Capability and capacity. I look forward to developing the organisation's professional profile, workplan and capacity.

At the selection interview, I was asked to present my vision for nursing and to outline how NZNO could meet that vision. Since beginning last month, I have been discussing that vision with staff and inviting feedback. I now invite your feedback on the vision.

My vision is that nursing is recognised as a key player in health service delivery and decision-making and is proactive and responsive to meeting health needs. In fact, I believe nursing is the answer to key health challenges facing New Zealand and, in particular, to:

* health promotion;

* public health;

* screening;

* primary health care, including mental health;

* chronic disease management, including major mental fitness;

* rehabilitation; and

* disability, home-based and residential care.

To achieve this vision of nursing, nurses need to be confident, recognising their significant contribution to society and proudly speaking of their profession and the work they do. Nurses deal with unbelievable complexity, not only in their practice with patients and families, but also in the systems within which they operate. Rarely is that complexity discussed in the public arena. We talk to each other, but the public is largely unaware of the real essence of nursing and the challenges nurses face.

Nurses need to be participants in leading and shaping nursing and health policies and service design. Policies and service design shape how we can practise, either hindering or enabling that practice. And we want to deliver excellent care that is well supported, and have surety about our career progression options. Appropriate preparation to support this vision underpins success. So, in essence, my vision is that nurses will be delivering excellent care, and that nursing will be influencing and leading, and will be credible and central to meeting the health challenges of the future.

This vision is congruent with NZNO's vision and strategic goals for nurses. However, for me, the missing link in bringing the total work of NZNO fully together is that we have not projected out far enough. Policy, legislative and regulatory changes generally occur only after a number of years. Strategic plans usually project forward five years. For NZNO to be truly proactive and to achieve a vision such as I have outlined, we need to project into the future to 2020. We need to develop a clear vision of how health services may be shaped to meet the nation's health need then and how nursing can best deliver on its social policy and mandate. A clear vision of health services and nursing's place within those services will bring a unified and cohesive direction to NZNO's work.

The Canadian Nurses' Association has already undertaken a similar project. (1) NZNO can do the same. By predicting demographics, health need, treatment changes and service delivery models, the nursing mix, knowledge and skiff sets can be determined. From that vision, the pathways to achieving it can be developed. Those pathways would include the health policy required, supportive legislative and regulatory frameworks, supportive employment legislation and practices, positive practice environments, recognition systems and the education frameworks to support nurses. And NZNO's strategic and annual plans would aim to move us towards the 2020 vision.

This is the work I would like to see NZNO undertake within the next year. Members would be integral to developing the vision, with focus groups established to have input into an initial consultation document following a literature review.

Let's start talking about our future and the future of nursing services in New Zealand. I am keen to hear your views and input now. I want nurses valuing the role they have in creating a just, humane and fair society; having surety in the future of nursing; and controlling that future.

Reference

Villeneuve, M. & MacDonald, J. (2006) Toward 2020: visions for nursing. Canadian Nurses' Association. Ottawa.

By professional services manager Susanne Trim