The implementation of the Vessel Health and Preservation framework.

Vascular access is an important component of health care but is not without associated risks, some of which can be life-threatening. The Vessel Health and Preservation (VHP) framework was developed with the intention of providing frontline staff with a resource to assist in assessing and selecting the best vascular access device to meet individual patient needs and to preserve veins for future use. This article examines the impact of the introduction of the framework into a haematology ward in an acute hospital in the North West of England during a 3-month pilot study. The results indicate that the VHP framework gave nursing staff more autonomy to choose the appropriate vascular access device for their patients and improved staff knowledge around pH and osmolality of intravenous drugs. However it is clear that more in-depth evaluations need to be conducted to assess the impact of VHP on patient care and outcomes.

Implementing collective leadership in healthcare organisations.

Effective leadership is essential in healthcare organisations, with several high-profile reports on suboptimal care in the NHS demonstrating a link between ineffective leadership and compromised patient safety. Therefore, it is important that nurses understand how leadership is defined and what effective leadership entails in practice. Various types of leadership are described in the literature, such as transactional, transformational and contingency leadership. One approach that could be beneficial in NHS organisations is collective leadership, which involves developing a leadership culture where formal and informal leaders work together to generate actions. This article explores the implementation of collective leadership in healthcare organisations, the potential benefits of this approach, and the behaviours and qualities that nurses require to be collective leaders.

Developing the organisational culture in a healthcare setting.

This article aims to define organisational culture and explain why it is important to patients, carers and those working in healthcare environments. Organisational culture is not a new concept and the literature on the subject is well-established. However, because of the changing dynamics of the NHS, there has been a shift away from 'what' the NHS stands for, often relating to its history and rituals, to 'who' it functions for, including how healthcare professionals such as nurses can develop and drive the organisational culture. The article seeks to assist nurses in understanding the role of organisational culture, as well as implementing its main principles in the workplace.