WellChild Nurses

Caring for seriously ill children is at the heart of the work we do, and the WellChild Children’s Nurse programme provides a service that was not previously available to families of children and young people with long term complex health needs.

The programme is now expanding to create a countrywide network of WellChild Nurses who are improving the lives of sick children and their families by helping to ensure that children with complex needs can leave hospital and return home wherever possible. Our nurses are vital in the prevention of frequent hospital re-admissions and they work closely with a wide range of other professionals and local services in the community to ensure that families receive the support they need.

Each nurse’s role is tailored to the needs of the children and young people in their area. They act as an advocate for families to make sure that children’s care needs are met, and provide advice to parents on other available services. They assess and monitor the ongoing and future care needs of the child and family, and provide emotional support – especially during times of crisis.  Read more about why more WellChild Nurses are needed here

In 2009 WellChild commissioned an independent evaluation of the WellChild Nurse Programme.  Led by Professor Bernie Carter and her team from the University of Central Lancashire and Children's Nursing Research Unit at Alder Hey, the aim of the evaluation was to explore both the role and wider impact of the current WellChild Nurse network. The evaluation will play an important role in helping to shape the future development and direction of WellChild's Nurse programme. See the Executive Summary here.

Meet some of our nurses here.

 

 updated 2 November 2010