Members Section

In this section you will find information that is available ONLY to members of the UKMSSNA.  It is privileged information and should NOT be passed on to non-members.

We are in the process of updating and changing the format of these pages to improve accessibility and make navigation easier.  Please bear with us during this process.  Please let the Administrator know if you notice any errors or omissions. 

Membership Subscriptions

The Committee decided at their September meeting to raise the membership subscription to £35.00 for people paying by cheque, credit/debit card or cash.  It will remain at £30.00 for those paying by Banker's Standing Order. 

Paying by Standing Order reduces the administration to one single letter and your new membership card sent to you in the month when your subscription is due.  At the moment the administration involved in chasing up membership takes a disproportionate amount of Mary's time, which would be more productively spent in improving the website and providing other support.

Mary will send out forms as usual when your subscription is due or you may set up a Standing Order now by downloading a form from the "Joining" page.

Working conditions, Qualifications and Training Survey 2007 - Results

You may remember completing an online survey at the end of 2007.  The results have been a little slow in coming through, but have now been published.  Click here to download the report.

Making a Difference 2008

Every year the UKMSSNA gives an award to an MS Nurse, nominated by her or his peers, who has made a significant difference to MS Nursing during the year.  The award is normally presented at the MS Trust meeting for MS Nurses held in March each year.

Last year there were joint winners - Heidi Thompson from Northern Ireland and Pauline Shaw, London.  Download a nomination form here.

Richmond Pharmacology and clinical trial of CDP323

To find out more about this trial and the information given to patients click here

The debate on uniforms:

We've had a huge response to a question about the pro's and con's of wearing a uniform.  What do you think?  If you want to add your own comments, use the Response Form on the "Contact Us" page.

The original question was: 

"Within my Trust they are looking at me going into uniform. Does anyone who works in the community have positive or negative thoughts on this, maybe even based on research?  I know the pros are because of infection control, but I have some reservations about wearing a uniform and it being more of a barrier to the younger generation especially if they have children (who) have not been informed, and I am a friend!"

Uniform:  OK on the ward, but not in the community ?

Responses:

The main thrust of responses is summed up by this one:  "My view is that uniform would not be a benefit in the community.  I can, however see the benefit of using one in clinical areas."

For a more detailed view, see the responses below:

"There are legal implications about wearing a uniform in public.   If you are out of uniform you do not have to stop to assist if someone is taken ill, etc., who is not your patient, however if you are in uniform this changes."

"Our managers have recently encouraged our team of specialist nurses to wear uniforms. Their argument was that it was not appropriate to go into certain homes in mufti.  While we cannot argue with this, following discussion with our managers we have now been given the option of using our discretion with regards to wearing uniforms on home visits.  However, we are now wearing uniforms for certain outpatient clinics e.g. DMT clinics."

"I would also have reservations about wearing uniform in her role for reasons of confidentiality and communication.   I do have one reference: French P (1994) Social Skills for Nursing Practice (2nd edition) Chapman and Hall, London. Page 211 who recommends that alternative clothing to the uniform should be worn when possible to do so, as the uniform can serve as a barrier to communication reminding the people in our care of the formal and institutional position of the nurse. I realise that this is an old reference and this is not based on research but there may well be an updated edition now (dragged out one of my old assignments to get this)!"

"I'm community based and asked for a uniform after a rather unpleasant experience in a nursing home! Since asking, all specialist nurses in the Trust have a uniform but all of us wear it infrequently. We're meeting the 'nothing below the elbow' thing from the Chief Nursing officer in our own clothes and just wear uniform if I'm anticipating a 'dirty' day, e.g. assessing spasticity sat on someone's bed or teaching ISC or doing PRs etc. Don't think I've ever worn in to a first visit, but personally don't think it's affected my relationship with patients when I have. Management also recognised that if going to meetings etc. to discuss service then wouldn't be expected to wear it - an interesting point I thought!

" I am also community based and do not wear uniform. As yet there have been no requests for me to wear uniform, however it may be on the cards. I don't carry out much in the way of clinical tasks (with the exception of taking bloods and bladder scans) and I find that plastic aprons and gloves are adequate. I agree that in some cases a uniform may not be appropriate. There could be confidentiality issues.  Some of my patients would not want me to visit in uniform as it would highlight the fact they needed a nurse to visit.  In one case a patients family does not know she has MS. I do however understand the need infection control measures to be in place and it would mean that I wouldn't have to think what to wear in the morning!"

"We wear uniforms at our Trust and we have not found that it has caused a barrier with our patients."

"I work in both an acute hospital and the community.  Only Specialist Nurses who carry out frequent clinical procedures need to wear uniform in my OPD.  Surely we are trying to promote a well model rather than sick and uniform equals sick to most people.  I feel my role is very rarely clinical and I can still put in a cannulae aseptically without looking like a dentist.  Confidentiality requires us to, quite rightly, be as subtle as possible.  The person is only obliged to tell the DVLA and car insurance so signposting "sickness" to the neighbour and community is surely a breach of that trust and confidentiality.  Out of interest, are they asking the G.U.M. nurses to visit in uniform?  I cannot prove it with quoted research but I bet a uniformed nurse is more at risk from car crime and assault due to an expectation that there are drugs kept in the car or on the nurse.  Check your Lone Worker Policy? As you say, uniforms would be difficult to explain away to a child."

We have to wear uniforms where I work.  I don’t know about any research on it, but my personal views are that when I am visiting the wards I feel safer in my uniform as I wonder what I may pick up on my own clothes and worry about wearing them socially afterwards, perhaps its just me.  But there are times when it is really inappropriate to wear a uniform and we are able to request that we wear civvies although there are only certain colours we can wear. I was very anti it when it was first announced, but these days of super bugs I do not have such a negative opinion anymore.

In [my Trust] it is now policy for all CNS to wear uniform when doing clinical duties.  We do not need to wear them all the time.  I only wear mine to the wards although I rarely have any physical patient contact - the occasional hug thats all!  I have not received any negative feedback other than ward patients get confused about who I am as I wear the same colour as the ward manager. I agree that uniform can be a 'social' barrier.  We have to make sure we are bare from hand to elbow for effective hand washing.

My PCT has reintroduced uniforms for all front line staff as part of the corporate image.   I now have to wear a navy blue tunic and trousers (when in clinic or inpatient clinical settings) otherwise I am allowed to wear normal clothes under my motorcycle kit.   I have received both positive and negative comments from patients and families as I'm community based.

I was told a few months ago that all community staff were to be expected to wear uniform.   As I haven't worn a uniform for over 20 years, I was a little annoyed and puzzled by the reasoning - 'infection control'.   I put my case that newly diagnosed people don't necessarily want friends, neighbours etc. seeing a nurse visiting and as the service is supposed to be confidential, it wouldn't be appropriate.  However, I have agreed that if I do any clinical work on the ward, I will wear the uniform which has been provided (it remains unopened in the plastic bag it arrived in behind my desk to this day - I don't even know if it fits!). If you [don't want to wear uniform] it's worth getting patient groups to support you.

When I came into my community-based post 4 years ago I had the choice of whether or not to wear uniform and I chose not to.   I feel very strongly that turning up at someone’s home in uniform is a breach of confidentiality involving neighbours as well as family.  Since then, our community rehab. physios and OTs have also come out of uniform.   We have a dress code and carry aprons, gloves and alcohol gel with us when we go into patients’ homes.   We pay a lot of attention to infection control issues; two of us within our service are infection control advocates attending regular IC meetings.   Apart from the odd occasion when a patient asks if I’ve done ‘real’ nursing ( ! ) I can’t think of any situation in my role where uniform would be an advantage.

Our trust has always had a policy [on wearing uniforms] for specialist nurses.  We can either wear a navy spotted dress or tunic or a blue suit with a white top/blouse.  Most staff opt for the suit when out in the community or in the office and the tunic or dress when in clinic or on the wards to prevent infection risks.  However, as we do very little clinical intervention we tend to wear the suit most times.  It has the added advantage of just being used for work and not having to think what to wear each day.   I think it is a good thing as other staff recognise you as a nurse and not a visitor or rep. when you go on the ward.  When visiting people at home the neighbours are none the wiser as to who you are and so those people worried about their neighbours knowing they are seeing a nurse or are ill are protected from this.  I think it also promotes a better image for both the trust and your service and people do appreciate this.  I believe a lot of user surveys turn up responses on the appearance of staff and I think this is mentioned in the last government paper "Your health, your say - patient choice".  This may be where the trust is coming from.

Thank you to everyone who has responded.

Photo Gallery

Most members will have been caught on camera at some time by our own "Happy Snapper", Huseyin Huseyin.  Huseyin has now made his photographs available online - click here to view.  The UKMSSNA accepts no responsibility for the images on this site!

Change and the NHS and the CNS Role in 2007

We are very grateful to Professor Sir George Castledine, Professor of Nursing at Birmingham City University and Consultant of Nursing at Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust, for permission to reproduce two Powerpoint presentations which UKMSSNA members will find of interest.

Change and the NHS        The CNS Role in 2007

Patient leaflet on the Role of the MS Specialist Nurse

The UKMSSNA has produced a 3-fold leaflet which outlines the role of the MS Specialist Nurse to inform people affected by MS.  It is available for you to download and print off as needed.

Leaflet - The Role of the MS Specialist Nurse in supporting people affected by MS  

MS Nursing International Certification Examination

The following members have successfully taken the MS Exam:

Register of Members

A list of all Full, Associate and Honorary members of the Association, with contact details and special interests.  The Register is provided in tables in alphabetical order by Last Name of Member and in alphabetical order by Town/City where based.  There is a separate Register of Associate Members.

Therapists in MS (TiMS) Contact Directory

The TiMS Contact Directory lists over 160 therapists with a special interest in MS.  The TiMS group have agreed that UKMSSNA members can view this Directory.  Access is strictly limited to other therapy professionals and UKMSSNA members. 

UKMSSNA members wanting access to the Register should apply to the MS Trust, quoting your UKMSSNA membership number, to obtain a username and password to view the Directory.

Members' Queries

From time to time UKMSSNA members request information from fellow members to help them provide better care to their patients, to help with dissertations, protocols, care pathways, training, etc. etc.  Go to Members' Queries for a comprehensive list of queries/requests received and any answers.  If you wish to make a request or have a query which you wish to have circulated to members and put on the website, please email admin@ukmssna.org.uk

Assessment tools, protocols, care pathways, etc.

The UKMSSNA is developing a resource of such documents, similar to the Slide Library, which you can access online.  If you have any good examples (perhaps ones you have developed as a result of your audit against the NICE Guideline) please can you forward them to the Administrator for the working group.  It would help if you could also provide the evidence base used in compiling the documentation.  Full credit will be given for any documentation used in its original form.

Slide Library

The Slide Library has been put together by UKMSSNA members with the aim of improving the consistency and quality of the information being circulated on multiple sclerosis, and reflects current best practice, NICE recommendations and the role of the MS nurse in the management of the condition. 

It contains a number of different slide sets on those topics that are being regularly presented by MS nurses. Each set has been developed as a core resource on a particular topic rather than intending to represent a complete and finished presentation on any of the subjects. They provide you with the core essentials that you can adapt and supplement to suit your particular need.

Agenda for Change

Statement for members regarding Agenda for Change

The banding for MS Nurses within Agenda for Change (AfC) has caused many problems, with nurses feeling that they have been devalued or not banded according to their worth.

Agenda for Change was never intended to be associated with pay; the aim of AfC was, on a national level, to change working conditions so that staff working within the NHS worked the same number of hours, had the same amount of holiday and that different staff groups were associated on pay bands mainly according to the levels of autonomy and responsibility of their position. National profiles were compiled to help Trusts match ongoing jobs using job descriptions with a similar profile.

The job matchers do not know of, or work with, the post that is being matched. This is to prevent bias of perception by the job matchers to the post. The job matchers do not know the current grade or salary of the post.

Although the government made recommendations and gave training towards the process of job matching, not all Trusts or PCTs follow the same principles and, as usual with any government documentation, wording is often ambiguous and open to interpretation of what the post holder does, or the responsibilities held are often different eg: the difference between complex analysis and highly complex analysis.

Once a post is matched to a national profile, the core panel will check for consistency, but this is within their own Trust. Different Trusts have no influence over matching posts even if they are similar work.

The banding of the post then goes to Finance and the pay level is matched to the closest current pay scale. Increments will then continue. There should never be a drop in pay. If you are not satisfied with the banding, you can appeal and ask for a review by providing additional and further information on any one of the twelve sections. However you still need to match the essential factors 2 (knowledge and skills) and 12 (Freedom to act). The information needs to be based upon the original job description and despite moving up some levels you still need the overall points to move up to the next band.

Once this process has been followed, you cannot appeal any further against the matching unless you appeal against the process, e.g. you didn’t agree the job description originally.

There is now a comparison available which allows the post holder to understand the key factors that differentiate between level 6, level 7 and level 8 nurses. This has been compiled by looking at the different national profiles that have been used to establish banding. For further information on this please contact admin@ukmssna.org.uk

March 2006

United Kingdom Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Management Manual:

Care across the disease trajectory

2003 saw the introduction of the United Kingdom Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Management Manual: care across the disease trajectory. This was a landmark document for both nursing and people with MS, providing a worldwide perspective on how care should be carried out.  It includes input by nursing experts in MS from both North America and throughout Europe.  The Care Manual has now been reviewed and the updated version was launched in September 2006 at the CHARMS Conference. It is currently being reviewed again and updates will be published when they are ready. (October 2008)

The Care Manual is an up-to-date, informative and evidenced-based handbook that will meet the needs of all nurses who care for people with MS. It provides a means of standardising quality care and ensuring that best practice is at the forefront of MS nursing.

The Care Manual, available on a CD-ROM, is free to members of the UKMSSNA.   The UKMSSNA gratefully acknowledges the considerable support given by Merck Serono for this superb resource.

Committee

Lists names and contact details of all UKMSSNA Committee members, dates of forthcoming committee meetings and minutes of previous meetings.  Minutes of the Annual General Meetings are also to be found here.

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