Children and Young People’s Cardiac Nursing: RCN Guidance on Roles, Career Pathways and Competence Development (3rd Edition)

The aim of this document is to provide optimum standards for the nursing care of infants, children and young people with congenital heart disease and includes recommendations for education and training underpinned by competency frameworks and career pathways. It is envisaged that this third edition will continue to facilitate appropriate and structured workload planning based on the Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) Standards and Service Specifications (National Health Service England NHSE 2016). Clinical competence documents have already been developed in some centres based on the earlier versions of this RCN document (2014); however, career pathways need to be contemporaneous reflecting the changing needs of Children and Young People (CYP), their families and the services required.

In addition to the CHD standards and service specifications, which cover the UK and Southern Ireland (North-South Inter-Parliamentary Association 2015; NHSE 2016; NHSS 2018, 2019), the needs of infants, children and young people are also at the forefront of the NHS Long term Plan (NHSE 2019) with development of a Children and Young People’s Transformation Programme alongside a Maternity Transformation Programme, to oversee the delivery of commitments to the NHS Long Term Plan (NHSE 2019, RCPCH 2019). Furthermore, by 2028, the aim is to move to person-centred and age appropriate service models; implementing a selective ‘0-25 years’ service model, to improve children’s experiences of care, outcomes and continuity of care (NHSE 2019, p. 55).

This publication provides a competency framework reflecting the key roles outlined within the CHD standards (NHSE 2016) and from which a CYP nurse can work (NMC 2018a). Different roles require varying levels of competence depending on the nature of the work and level of responsibility. Consequently, this framework considers roles spanning levels 5-9 of the career pathway (DH, 2006a, 2007a, 2007b; Skills for Health 2010, 2019; RCN 2007).

This publication sits alongside Adult congenital heart disease nursing: RCN guidance on roles, career pathways and competence development (RCN, 2014).