The community nurse's role in developing integrated healthcare services was discussed at an RCN Congress fringe event, organised by the RCN's District Nursing Forum.
Around 15 delegates gathered during RCN Congress 2015 in Bournemouth to discuss the opportunities and challenges of integrated healthcare.
After a presentation from a community nursing service lead on how their integrated service had been set up, and the vital elements needed for it to work seamlessly, the discussion was thrown open.
Delegates discussed their own experiences of integrated or partially integrated services and the challenges they faced.
A common theme was communication challenges between different members of the team, often a result of partially successful digital working systems.
The session ended with organizer and RCN District Nursing Forum chair Caroline Dickson asking delegates to consider what they could do to influence services.