The first rebanding outcomes from the band 5 nursing roles review are being received and RCN members have been reporting the good news to us.
Bethany Smith is an RCN member in Grampian and an anaesthetic practitioner and she first heard about the band 5 nursing roles review from her team leader.
"She explained the process and encouraged me to complete the form because she believed that in my work I was going above my role as a band 5 nurse," Bethany said.
She admits that the length and complexity of the questionnaire was a bit daunting at first glance.
"The form took quite a long time to complete because there are many sections and you must be very specific about the role that you do," she said, "so it does require some thinking as well as writing time."
Bethany said her approach to the time needed was to try to set aside time to focus on carefully answering each question.
The result makes all the effort worthwhile, according to Bethany.
"It was very much worth doing," she said. "I would strongly encourage any band 5 nurses to make a submission, whatever your nursing speciality or field of practice. We deserve the recognition for the job we are actually doing now. I really enjoy my role and the satisfaction I get from caring for patients during a vulnerable time in their treatment, I believe I also merit being paid at the higher band. The job we do as band 5 nurses has changed incredibly since the Agenda for Change job profiles were written and they no longer reflect what it is we do."
If you are a band 5 nurse and an RCN member, we can support you to make a submission to the review. Last month we launched refreshed guidance.
John Flannery, RCN Scotland Project Officer (Job Evaluation), who worked on the new guidance, is very positive about how using it will make a difference for members.
"I fully expect that following our guidance will reduce the number of questions many of you will need to complete to around 20-25," said John, "so I’m sure you’ll agree this makes the application much more manageable."
John added: "Look out in the coming weeks for information on our website about band 5 nursing roles roadshows we are currently planning. These will take us to many different workplaces across Scotland, visiting all health boards, and it’ll give you the opportunity to get detailed advice and answers to questions you might have about your own submission."
You can find the new guidance on our website.
