Presenting a framework for developing nursing roles in Scotland

Nursing has been at the forefront of developing new roles for many decades. However, there is a view that such developments have been piecemeal and fragmented and that the value for patients has not always been explicit. In addition, there has not always been strong managerial support for new roles, resulting in burn-out, lack of succession planning and excessive workload. As part of Scotland's focus on recruitment and retention of nurses and midwives, it was decided to develop a framework for the development of new roles that would ensure a sound planning process, a clear focus for the role and structures for its support and sustainability. This paper describes the process of developing the framework for consultation.