2020-2025
Adaptation, advocacy, and global leadership
Contents |
Early 2020s, COVID-19 disruption and rapid transformation
The pandemic forced rapid, system-wide change across critical care. BACCN adapted quickly, supporting practice, education, and policy.
BACCN milestones
- 2020 and 2021: fully virtual conferences delivered at pace
- Rapid development of guidance for staff and patient care
Key policy milestones
- GIRFT Adult Critical Care report (2021)
https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Adult-Critical-Care-Sep21m.pdf - GPICS V2.1 (2022)
https://www.ficm.ac.uk/standards/guidelines-for-the-provision-of-intensive-care-services
Key publications and contributions
- Oral care consensus paper (2020)
https://www.baccn.org/static/uploads/resources/BACCN_-_Oral_Consensus_Paper_FINAL.pdf - Staff wellbeing statement (2020)
https://www.baccn.org/media/resources/BACCN_Staff_wellbeing_statement_JH_April_2020_1.pdf - COVID workforce and safety research led by BACCN members
- NCEPOD review involvement
https://www.ncepod.org.uk/2020abo.html
What changed in practice
Digital transformation
Digital change moved from gradual progress to immediate necessity. Before 2020, education and collaboration often relied on face-to-face delivery. This shifted within weeks.
What changed quickly
- Conferences, teaching, and study days moved online
- Multidisciplinary meetings became virtual
- National guidance was shared in real time
- Professional networks connected through webinars and online platforms
What has lasted
- Hybrid education is now standard
- Recorded teaching allows flexible access
- National collaboration across units is routine
- Faster sharing of research and best practice
Access to learning improved, especially for staff who could not travel due to shift patterns, cost, or location. This helped reduce variation across regions.
There are still limits. Not all staff have equal access to time or technology, and practical skills training still depends on face-to-face learning.
Digital systems did not replace traditional methods, but they made education and communication more flexible and inclusive.
Evolution of nurse leadership
Nurse leadership became far more visible during the pandemic.
Before COVID-19, nurses contributed to service development, education, and governance. Much of this work was not widely seen. The crisis changed that.
During the pandemic
- Nurses helped lead rapid service expansion
- They influenced workforce decisions and safety planning
- They supported redeployed staff from other specialties
- Leadership extended beyond clinical care into coordination, communication, and staff support
In many settings, nurses provided continuity during constant change. Their understanding of patient care and staffing pressures shaped practical decisions.
Growth in influence
- Greater involvement in national policy and guidance
- Strong presence in research, including COVID workforce studies
- Contributions to frameworks and standards such as GPICS and workforce planning
- Leadership in education and competency development
Work presented at BACCN (Dawson and Plowright, 2022) also highlighted concern about declining numbers of nurse consultant roles, raising questions about sustaining senior clinical leadership pathways.
Current position
- Leadership roles now span clinical, educational, and strategic areas
- Nurse leaders are more visible at national and international level
- There is closer alignment between leadership and research
- Greater focus on wellbeing, retention, and workforce sustainability
There is now a clearer expectation that critical care nurses shape systems and policy, not just deliver care.
Mid 2020s, expansion, inclusivity, and international collaboration
BACCN expanded its influence and strengthened global connections.
BACCN milestones
- 2022: joint conference with IACCN
- Introduction of Honorary Fellows
- Increased international engagement
Key policy and framework developments
- National education standards (2023)
https://www.cc3n.org.uk/uploads/9/8/4/2/98425184/education_standards_final.pdf - Outreach practitioner framework (2022)
https://ics.ac.uk/resource/ccopf.html - Outreach operational standards (2020)
https://www.wyccn.org/uploads/6/5/1/9/65199375/norf_operational_standards_2020.pdf - National competency frameworks across specialties
Support workforce (Band 2):
https://www.cc3n.org.uk/uploads/9/8/4/2/98425184/working_version__cc3n_hcsw_supportive_proficiencies_-__working_version_july2022.pdf
Renal:
https://www.cc3n.org.uk/uploads/9/8/4/2/98425184/renal_competencies_working_document_final_jan_21.pdf
Cardiac:
https://www.cc3n.org.uk/uploads/9/8/4/2/98425184/14-02-2021_cardiac_competencies_formatted.pdf
Key publications and dissemination
- Nursing Times “Essential Critical Care Skills” series
https://www.nursingtimes.net/emergency-and-critical-care/essential-critical-care-skills-1-what-is-critical-care-nursing-18-10-2021/
https://www.nursingtimes.net/emergency-and-critical-care/essential-critical-care-skills-3-arterial-line-care-13-12-2021/
https://www.nursingtimes.net/emergency-and-critical-care/essential-critical-care-skills-5-management-of-fluid-balance-21-02-2022/
What changed in practice
- Increased focus on inclusivity, diversity, and leadership
- Improved access to education through digital platforms
- Stronger international links and collaboration
Current direction (mid 2020s onwards)
BACCN continues to shape workforce, standards, and research.
Key policy developments
- Workforce optimisation plan (2024–2027)
https://www.cc3n.org.uk/uploads/9/8/4/2/98425184/ukccna_workforce_optimisation_plan_2024-2027.pdf - New competency and educator frameworks (2024–2025)
https://www.cc3n.org.uk/step-competency-framework.html - GPICS V3 consultation (2025)
- ECMO emergency guidance with BACCN representation (2025)
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00134-025-08142-2
Key publications and contributions
- Critical Care Manual of Clinical Procedures and Competencies, 2nd edition (2024)
- Clinical Nurse Educator Best Practice Guidelines (2024)
https://www.cc3n.org.uk/uploads/9/8/4/2/98425184/adult_critical_care_clinical_nurse_educator_best_practice_guidelines_v10.pdf - AHP capability framework (2024)
https://ics.ac.uk/guidance/ahp-critical-care-capability-framework.html - NCEPOD rehabilitation review (2025)
https://www.ncepod.org.uk/ICURehab.html - Organ Donation Act evaluation
https://pure.bangor.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/75586872/McLaughlin-etal-2024-Evaluation-of-the-Organ-Donation-Act-final.pdf - Environmental sustainability statement (2023)
https://www.baccn.org/static/uploads/resources/BACCN_position_statement_-environmental_sustainability-_Version_2__I4n87Kz.pdf - Non-medical prescribing statement
https://www.baccn.org/media/resources/BACCN_Prescibing_Statement.pdf
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nicc.12866
Current priorities
- Recognition of critical care nursing as a safety-critical specialty
- Workforce sustainability and wellbeing
- Embedding research into practice
- Balancing advanced technology with human-centred care
Overall narrative of change
Four clear shifts emerge:
- Education to expertise: From informal training to structured competency frameworks
- Local to national influence: From supporting nurses to shaping policy
- Practice to evidence: From experience-based care to research-led practice
- National to global leadership: From UK focus to international collaboration
Final summary
BACCN has grown from a small professional network into a central voice in critical care nursing.
It now influences:
- national policy and workforce planning
- education standards and competency frameworks
- research and evidence-based practice
- international collaboration and leadership
This reflects both the growth of the organisation and the increasing complexity of critical care nursing.