Evaluation of the Patients First Programme : Final Report of the Foundation of Nursing Studies, November 2013.

The Patients First practice development programme supports nurse-led projects focused on implementing and evaluating patient-centred improvements in healthcare settings across the UK. The programme is managed by the Foundation of Nursing Studies (FoNS), with funding from the Burdett Trust for Nursing. This evaluation aimed to assess the extent to which the aims of the programme had been achieved; the added value of participation for individuals, their practice and patient care; and the longer term benefits of the programme.
A mixed method approach was used, including: a review of project reports; online questionnaire for project leads (n=23, response rate =50%); semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders (n=15) and case studies.
The programme has largely achieved its aims, albeit with variable outcomes at project level. The main outcomes have involved increasing the skills and confidence of nursing staff, and enhancing their ability to influence change within their working environment, thereby having a positive impact on patient care and clinical practice. The questionnaire and interviews responses indicated that the programme is worthwhile. Funding was used to facilitate staff engagement and to backfill staff time.
Benefits identified by project leads included assistance with reflective practice; feeling more engaged in talking and listening to patients; enhanced skills in practice development techniques; and greater confidence implementing these skills effectively in different settings.
Added value at an organisational level was seen through better engagement between team members, improved collaboration and communication between nursing and medical teams, and empowerment of nursing staff to influence change within their workplace. Patient benefits included patients feeling that service provision better met their needs, with an increased awareness amongst staff of issues around user involvement in care planning.
Three-quarters of individual projects resulting in changes in care had, at least in part, been continued or mainstreamed. Capacity and capability in implementing practice development approaches appear to have increased in a small number of areas, with several former project leads coaching their colleagues in practice development skills.