The Foundation of Nursing Studies (FoNS) is an independent UK organization that works to improve patient care through nursing innovation and culture change. FoNS has worked with over 100 nurse-led teams in the last decade. FoNS' vision is for all patients to receive the best possible care and for staff to feel appreciated and supported. Their mission is to foster person-centered care by developing nursing knowledge and skills to provide safe, effective, caring nursing. FoNS uses principles like person-centeredness, facilitation, support and challenge, and life-long learning to guide their practice development and research approaches. Their work includes improving practice programs, practice-based research, creating caring cultures, and scholarships.

1. Dr Theresa Shaw, Chief Executive
Foundation of Nursing Studies
FoNS
Centre for Nursing Innovation
Inspire Enable Improve

2. FoNS
 Only UK-wide, independent, not for
profit organisation that works
directly with individuals and teams
across all healthcare settings to
improve the patients’ experience of
care
 A small, highly skilled and
productive organisation. FoNS has
worked with nurse-led teams over
two decades, more than 100 in the
last 10 years, to lead innovation,
improvement and culture change in
practice.

3. FoNS’ Vision and Mission
Vision
To inspire and enable a culture across health and social
care that values people, where patients experience
care and services which are the best they can be and
staff feel appreciated and supported.
Our Mission
To work in partnership with health and social care
organisations to a foster a commitment to
personcentredness by valuing staff and enabling them
to develop the knowledge, skills and expertise to
provide nursing that is safe, effective and caring.

4. FoNS’ Unique Approach…
The way FoNS works is underpinned by a number of key
principles which guide our approach to practice development
and practice based research:
Being person-centred
Working with people and values
Using skilled facilitation that is enabling rather than directing
Providing support and challenge
Helping people develop and grow
Enabling inclusivity, collaboration and positive relationships
Promoting life-long learning in practice
Working creatively and systematically to achieve outcomes for
practice
Sharing innovation and learning widely to promote the spread
of best practice

5. Our Work
 Improving Practice Programmes.
 Patients First
 Practice-Based Development and Research
 Creating Caring Cultures
 Richard Tompkins Nurse Development Scholarship
 IPDC Practice Development Schools
 Active sharing of all projects supported through our
publication series ‘Improvement Insights’
 Virtual Centre for Nursing Innovation enabling Friends
and Associates to share knowledge, information and
resources helping them to change and improve practice.
 International Practice Development Journal (IPDJ) free to
access online

6. Patients First Programme
Supporting locally focused innovation
Enabling participation of patients and
families in the development of services
Improving and changing practice
Commitment to more person centred
practice
Developing nurses as facilitators for
practice development

7. Practice Based Development and Research
Programme
Support for nurse-led healthcare teams to
undertake a research study which aims to
develop, change and improve practice
Increasing the use of practice orientated
research methodologies (for example,
participatory action research, realistic
evaluation, appreciative inquiry, emancipatory
practice development, fourth generation
evaluation)
Enabling nurses to experience the value of
research in practice

8. Scholarships and Schools
Richard Tompkins Nurse Development
Scholarship
IPDC Practice Development Schools: Fostering a
Culture of Effectiveness Through Practice
Development
Mentorship

9. Connecting with FoNS
Become a Friend or Associate
Apply and/or support a team with an
application to Patients First
Write for IPDJ
Consider attending the PD School

10. Thank you
Feedback & Questions
Inspire Enable Improve
Centre for Nursing Innovation
www.fons.org