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Demonstrating the value of critical-care nursing
- Dr Julie MenziesClinical Academic Nurse Researcher at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children
Key points
- Registered nurses are a valuable part of the safety and quality of paediatric critical care.
- A recent review for NHS England found little evidence to support current staffing ratios.
- Research is planned to demonstrate the value of a degree-level, specialist-trained registered nurse workforce in critical care.
Dr Julie Menzies, Clinical Academic Nurse Researcher at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, explores the contribution of the registered nursing workforce to safe, high-quality paediatric critical care. She discusses gaps in the evidence around staffing and the need to understand more fully how nursing expertise affects care. The interview highlights the importance of appropriate education, specialist training and professional skills, alongside questions about staffing ratios. Dr Menzies reflects on developing research that can demonstrate the value of nurses and help inform decisions about the workforce needed to care for critically ill children.
This interview took place at the PCCS Annual Scientific Meeting 2026 in London.
Read the transcript
Automatic transcript, lightly edited for readability. It may contain errors, so check it against the video before quoting.
I want to talk about some of the work that I'm just starting to get into, which is around the value of registered nurses in paediatric critical care. I think our registered nurse workforce are a valuable part of our safety and quality of care provision. In a recent review we did for NHS England, we've really established that there isn't much evidence to support our staffing ratios, and there's so much more that we need to do to show our value. I'm really hoping to move forward with research in this area to demonstrate the value of an appropriately educated, degree level, specialist course trained registered nurse workforce in the critical care environment.
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Cite this video
Dr Julie Menzies. “Demonstrating the value of critical-care nursing.” The Paediatric Video Journal, 7 November 2026. https://paediatricvj.com/videos/demonstrating-the-value-of-critical-care-nursing-menzies/
This interview is educational content intended for healthcare professionals and is not medical advice. Views expressed are those of the speaker. © The Paediatric Video Journal. All rights reserved.