The Admiral Nurse Academy: a clinical academic pathway to support a specialist dementia nursing service

Purpose - This paper seeks to provide an overview of The Admiral Nurse Academy, which provides a web-based resource for the clinical and academic development of all admiral nurses. Its role is to: facilitate changes to practice development and group supervision; support knowledge development and learning and regulate the Admiral Nurse Induction Programme. The introduction of the Admiral Nurse Competency Framework in 2003 marked its beginning. Design/methodology/approach - The paper provides background on the development and role of Admiral Nursing and an overview of The Admiral Nurse Academy in providing training. Findings - The need for Admiral Nurses to develop a transparent framework of regulating their practice and learning is consistent both with developments in nursing more widely and with recent UK policy emphasis on enhancing the quality of the dementia care workforce. In addition to offering a clinical and academic pathway tailored to each Admiral Nurse, the academy offers a route for those practicing at an advanced level to ensure their clinical expertise and leadership skills are commensurate with master's level qualifications. Dementia UK promotes and maintains the business development of admiral nursing. A senior Admiral Nurse group maintains and oversees the academy. Originality/value - At a time when public sector resources are shrinking whilst demands on care services and calls for improved care quality are increasing, The Admiral Nurse Academy offers a timely reminder of the importance of practice development for specialist nurses working with people with dementia and their family carers wherever they may be in the service system and whatever their level of need.