Welcome to March’s issue of the CNO Bulletin.
This month, I’m thrilled to the progress of an exciting initiative which has allowed us to welcome internationally-educated midwifery colleagues into Team UHCW. Its success has been recognised as the most successful within the Midlands region which has resulted in further funding for extended recruitment.
I’m delighted to welcome an in-depth contribution from our valuable Research Council, which follows our well-established Shared Decision-Making (SDM) model. Additionally, there will be a showcase of new artwork unveiled on Hoskyn Ward, our latest DAISY Award winners, and some opportunities for you to engage with our Electronic Patient Record journey.
Colleagues in Maternity have shared their pride at seeing their outstanding work recognised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Our rating for leadership in the department was ‘outstanding’, making us the first Trust to receive this recognition.
The overall rating remained as Good. The rating for ‘well-led’ went up from Good to Outstanding, while the rating for ‘safe’ stayed as Good.
Speaking about the good news, Integrated Midwife Nicole Jones said: “It made me feel really proud. I’m fortunate to work with some incredible colleagues and to receive that recognition is fantastic.
“The leadership from our labour ward co-ordinators within our service is really supportive and the whole team has built strong relationships and trust with one another, making it a great working environment.
“They ensure everything runs smoothly in the service and we all get the training we need to deliver the best possible care.”
International Midwife Tricia Nkrumah, who came to the Trust from Ghana last May, added: “I have been able to work in different areas on the labour ward, triage, antenatal and now on the postnatal ward.
“I have received lots of support and help with understanding different policies and processes. It’s been fantastic.
“When I first moved here, I was nervous with it being a new place. But, through all the support and leadership provided, I’ve come a long way. Patients I have supported during their care who I see again stop me to say hello and thank me for the care I gave them and I’m so proud of that.
“The CQC inspection results were amazing and reflective of all the hard work and dedication of the team. I’m looking forward to continuing to build on this so we achieve ‘outstanding’ overall!”
Inspectors praised a collective focus on continuous improvement after visiting all areas of the service – including the antenatal clinic and ward, maternity triage, labour ward, birth centre, day assessment and postnatal ward in November 2022.
Congratulations to the entire team.
In Summer of 2021 UHCW NHS Trust raised a bid for funding from NHS England to commence a recruitment campaign for midwives to join the trust from International countries. Whilst this international recruitment concept was not new for UHCW having had successful recruitment campaigns for nurses this was something very new for Midwifery.
The recruitment process commenced November 2021 which coincided with our new workforce matron for maternity Carrie Daniels starting in post. Carrie’s role has been instrumental in the success of this project leading us to where we are today.
In January 2022 the first international midwives arrived in the UK. A Programme of Education was developed in conjunction with Northampton NHS trust and University Hospitals Leicester. This has been implemented by the Practice facilitators for International Midwives at UHCW who also offer pastoral support as they adjust to life in the UK.
The first programme has had 14 international midwives commence with us at UHCW, 13 have passed their OSCE and are currently working through a preceptorship programme as Band 5 midwives.
UHCW Maternity has been recognised as the most successful trust within the Midlands region which has resulted in further funding for another 14 to enter the training programme. The trust have also given funding for another eight places totalling 22 for the second phase of the programme.
Three have been deployed in January 2023 and training is underway, four further midwives are due to arrive in March with the other 14 to be staggered through June, September, and December.
When all international recruited midwives are in post this will make 20% of our midwifery workforce.
We are so proud of our achievements and have welcomed our colleagues from around the world to join us in the maternity department. They have a wealth of midwifery experience from a number of backgrounds which will only enhance the care we provide to our diverse population of women and babies using our services.
The annual accreditation assessments are beginning 1st March this year until the end of June. It is a great opportunity for teams to showcase and celebrate improvements undertaken following their last accreditation assessment and the high standards of care being delivered in ward areas. Last year we celebrated 3 wards who were accredited with a Silver award and many other wards were recognised for demonstrating continuous improvements across all of the standards.
Good luck to all wards and be sure to showcase the improvements you have been making whether it’s learning from incidents, piloting new ways of working or focussing on specific standards.
Focus on Essential standards
Tidy up and Declutter
Cleaning & IPC
Introduction with Subie: your role in the trust and as council chair.
I am a Research Sister and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Good Clinical Practice (GCP) facilitator within Research and Development (R&D) with almost a decade of clinical research experience in the field of gastroenterology, leading as a study coordinator in a variety of research trails. I am passionate about research and evidence-based practice, with a particular focus on improving person-centred outcomes for people with bowel care.
I am delighted to have been appointed chair of the newly developed Research Council within the Trust. I look forward to engaging in and leading change to develop a positive research culture within clinical areas and departments with a shared goal to cultivate and share excellence.
The background of the council
I was involved in the re-launch of the Research Café in October 2022, an informal peer-led research group for research colleagues up to band 6 that runs every 3 months. Within the Research Café, we provide an atmosphere where staff can build self-esteem and confidence in research through peer support.
Following discussions with Lisa Dunn, the Pathway to Excellence Facilitator Lead, I became aware of the Shared decision-making (SDM) model through the “Pathway Shoutout” of the CNO Bulletin presentation. Shaping the Research Café under the shared decision-making model was an exciting opportunity.
I approached Nic Aldridge the Lead Nurse in R&D, who was supportive and encouraging of my ideas for creating a non-hierarchical council. In November 2022, the Research Council was launched, with the aim to drive forward quality and service improvements, support innovation, and improve outcomes for individuals, populations, and research staff. The re-launch of the Research Café has created positive interest in the Research Council and membership has spread across our department. Council membership provides staff with an opportunity to improve and support the quality of care we are delivering to patients and their families.
The Research Council has given me the opportunity to work closely with both clinical and non-clinical colleagues across the research team. This provides a unique collaborative working relationship that will help shape the future of research within the trust. Although we are still in the early phase of the council development, I am excited about the opportunities that lies ahead.
The purpose of the council
The council aims to create positive change by developing improvement projects alongside staff development. Support a culture where all staff feel that they are valued, inspired, and empowered to deliver excellent services and standards of care. The vision is to improve research staff satisfaction, emotional health & well-being and create a shared partnership within R&D to make decisions about clinical practice, staff development, and research.
The council’s journey so far
On the 11th of November 2022, with the support of the Trust’s SDM team, the Research Council was created with 8 council members. The Council currently meets once a month to discuss ongoing projects and development for the future.
The Research Council's first project is to improve the visibility of Research and Development within UHCW & St Cross. By showcasing the excellent clinical research being conducted at our sites and making R&D and its staff more visible and encourage others to get involved. We aim to raise the profile of Research and Development within the Trust and underpin the philosophy that ‘Research is for All’.
We continue to focus on raising awareness for research within the different clinical groups to both patients, relatives, and staff by visiting wards or clinical areas via research educational drop-in sessions and shout-out sessions.
We also aim to Improve the visibility of educational boards within the trust for clinical areas that showcase key publications and trials, the impact of research in clinical groups, illustrating the benefits to patient care, and many more.
In conversation with the council members
Charlie Bevan (Deputy Chair): “I joined the research council to support a colleague on her journey and it turned into something bigger. I am now proud and excited to be a part of a machine that can create change and make a good difference for R&D. I am looking forward to being able to influence the way R&D is viewed by the trust with our visibility project as well as building new working relationships along the way.”
Abi Jose: “As a member of the research council, I am appreciative of the impact this council has in our trust. We share a common vision; Research visibility.
“I believe that every change starts in a small step and in the long run I have no doubt that this council will accomplish its vision and translate into reality.”
Philip Mercado: “I joined the research council in order to help spread awareness of research as a lot of the work we are doing is important and impacting a lot of patients’ lives. Also, I am looking forward to the research council showcase where there will be representatives from each speciality. I think this will really boost awareness and the knowledge of R&D around UHCW.”
Ayisa Jarret: “I recently joined the Research Council because I wanted to raise the awareness of research among nurses in the cardiology department but being a member of the Council gives me the opportunity to promote research at much bigger scale.”
Vicky Sturgess: “I am a research radiographer involved in overseeing clinical studies testing new radiotherapy treatments, or radiotherapy in combination with other treatments, and I joined the Research Council to help spread the word and raise the profile of clinical studies and research within the trust. I have found networking with other researchers both informative and supportive and I encourage all interested staff to get in touch and get involved.”
The Research Council members are Subie Wurie (Chair), Charlie Bevan (Deputy Chair and Clinical Trial Assistant), Vicky Sturgess (Research Radiographer), Dawn Davies (Anaesthetic and Surgery Research Sister), Abi Jose (Clinical Research Facility Research Sister), Louise McErlean (Hepatology Research Sister), Harriet Cummins (Research Practitioner), Ayisa Jarret (Cardiology Research Sister), Sion Parry (Digital & Data Driven Research Unit Manager), Kerry Read(Renal Research Sister), Manju Sunny (Cancer Research Sister) and Philip Mercado (R&D Facilitator).
Supported by the R&D Communications Team and Emma Murphy Associate Clinical Professor in Nephrology Nursing, Centre for Care Excellence
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Dementia patients at the Hospital of St Cross, Rugby, will be treated to incredible new views from the windows in their bays following the unveiling of two murals created by local artists.
Following the completion of a five-month long project, which was led by staff members on Hoskyn Ward, who wanted to improve the experiences of their patients, and with support from the Friends of St Cross, the artwork has now been officially unveiled.
“These incredible pieces of art will make the world of difference to our patients,” said Clinical Sister Christina Middleton.
“They’re so bright and vibrant, and they provide a stunning insight into some of the famous landmarks in our town. Our patients will find them incredibly stimulating.”
Local artists Dazzler18 and Jessica Hartshorn created individual pieces of artwork which celebrate the architectural landmarks and well-known green spaces respectively.
Colleagues across the Trust are busy working on the design and development of our new Electronic Patient Record (EPR), ready for our go-live in October.
Before our go-live, all staff will need to be fully trained in EPR with classroom and E-Learning sessions so they feel fully confident to make the change.
Learning EPR Basics: 45-minute introduction to EPR
The first opportunity is the ‘Learning EPR Basics’ presentation that starts in March. This presentation is a first look at our new EPR: see how simple it will be to use, learn the language and ask questions. There are several dates and locations to choose from.
This informative presentation will include:
You’ll also learn about other engagement events and how to get more involved.
View all the available dates on TrustNav.
Digital IT Skills Training
The Trust have made available basic ‘Digital IT Skills’ training for staff who are less comfortable working with computers.
These classes are designed to help people feel much more comfortable with basic operations, including:
These sessions are classroom based with a maximum of four people per group and are just 75-minutes in duration.
Attendees will leave feeling much more comfortable using a Trust computer and software.
To book onto a course, the following steps will need to be completed:
Please note that, whilst a booking notification will be emailed to the staff member, the venue will not be displayed. All courses at UHCW will be held in Room 00065 which is on the Ground Floor of the Clinical Sciences Building, and the Octapus Centre at Rugby St Cross.
The Inspire Improvement Fellowship is a fully-funded, development programme for frontline clinical nurse leaders (any setting UK-wide).
We welcome applications from people from diverse backgrounds in any health or social care setting.
How to apply
Our amazing midwives and nursing staff are always going the extra mile to support patients and their families.
That commitment has seen Clinical Sister Linda Clements, Maple Unit Manager Natalie Mackie and Registered Nurse Shannon Morgan become our latest DAISY Award honourees.
The awards, funded by UHCW Charity, celebrate the skilful and compassionate care our nurses and midwives provide on a daily basis.
Each of our three amazing honourees were recognised by patients and their family members who were extremely grateful for their care.
Linda’s nomination read: “From the moment we met Linda we knew we were in safe hands. Linda makes it her mission to solve any problems in record time.
“She shone above and beyond, understood our concerns and took time to listen to us as a family. Linda is a very proactive person, she is empathetic and very kind - all the attributes that you want and need in a nurse.
“Our experience of illness and staying in hospital was much less stressful once Linda had become involved and she could not have done anything more than she did for us.
“She is driven to help everyone she meets and you have every faith that she will make things happen. Linda has the ability to calm situations and find solutions. Nothing is too much trouble for her and we observed how this attitude rubbed off on her colleagues on her nightshift.
“Thank you Linda, we are so very grateful to you for being so kind, it meant so much to have your support.”
Natalie’s nomination read: “Natalie is an absolutely wonderful nurse who has taken great time and care in treating my Father at The Maple Unit.
“Due to Natalie's advice and help (even though he is still very poorly) he is responding to his treatment much better than before. She is a kind, thoughtful, compassionate nurse who Is extremely wonderful at her job. I cannot express her skills and talents enough. A nurse who makes you feel completely at ease and safe in her care.
“I have seen Natalie treat everyone who comes into The Maple Unit with the same respect and care afforded to my father. Natalie knows all her patients incredibly well and her personal approach goes above and beyond.
“Her level of patient care and keeping abreast of their health is astonishing, even if these health issues are not related to their visit. She is a true gem, such a lovely lady and the best nurse I have ever encountered.”
“Thank you, Natalie for everything. You truly deserve this award.”
Shannon’s nomination read: “Shan is a compassionate, attentive and empathetic nurse. Her commitment to her patients' wellbeing is to be applauded.
“When I was being given penicillin-based antibiotics that were making me very poorly, Shan spoke up on my behalf and advised the doctors that she wasn't comfortable with administering these drugs as it was evident they were making me feel this way.
“She was professional but assertive and I am so thankful that she listened to her gut feelings. Thanks to her unwavering stance, my antibiotics were changed and I was spared further suffering as a result.
“Shan will be my hero! She is a credit to her profession and to this hospital. A beautiful lady inside and out with a bright smile that lights up the room. Shan Morgan, you will always be my angel. Thank you for all that you do.”
Huge congratulations to Linda, Natalie and Shannon on making such a positive difference to our patients.
On #WorldCancerDay, the @UHCW_RandD Cancer Research Team would like to share how staff and patients @nhsuhcw are contributing to the fight against cancer. pic.twitter.com/o87E8U8i3C — R&D at UHCW (@UHCW_RandD) February 4, 2023
On #WorldCancerDay, the @UHCW_RandD Cancer Research Team would like to share how staff and patients @nhsuhcw are contributing to the fight against cancer. pic.twitter.com/o87E8U8i3C
This was such a pleasure to create in collaboration with the lovely @DestructionArts https://t.co/bF5Q8dwsQK — jessi_illustrates (@jessiillustrat1) March 25, 2023
This was such a pleasure to create in collaboration with the lovely @DestructionArts https://t.co/bF5Q8dwsQK
Chief Executive of @nhsuhcw Andy Hardy told our reporter @JoshGiltrap more about what it means for everyone there to be recognised for their work in this way #HeartNews pic.twitter.com/a0ZdkKzeeX — Heart Midlands News (@HeartMidsNews) March 20, 2023
Chief Executive of @nhsuhcw Andy Hardy told our reporter @JoshGiltrap more about what it means for everyone there to be recognised for their work in this way #HeartNews pic.twitter.com/a0ZdkKzeeX
⭐Being committed to improving services for patients⭐ This was just one of the highlights in the CQC's Maternity Services Inspection Programme which saw our Maternity department's leadership recognised as 'outstanding': https://t.co/DYltbhQBmX pic.twitter.com/o6rYeUr7Cm — UHCW NHS Trust (@nhsuhcw) March 10, 2023
⭐Being committed to improving services for patients⭐ This was just one of the highlights in the CQC's Maternity Services Inspection Programme which saw our Maternity department's leadership recognised as 'outstanding': https://t.co/DYltbhQBmX pic.twitter.com/o6rYeUr7Cm
“It’s something we’ll always treasure.” An initiative at UHCW lets parents pick music they want to be played during their caesarean section and they receive a hand-signed card by those involved in the delivery. #UHCWMaternityMarch Find out more ▶️ https://t.co/S2VqSc9hba pic.twitter.com/4KlFxt7h8X — UHCW NHS Trust (@nhsuhcw) March 3, 2023
“It’s something we’ll always treasure.” An initiative at UHCW lets parents pick music they want to be played during their caesarean section and they receive a hand-signed card by those involved in the delivery. #UHCWMaternityMarch Find out more ▶️ https://t.co/S2VqSc9hba pic.twitter.com/4KlFxt7h8X
Arden Angels have had an incredible start to the year, as Tracie and her team have now raised more than £87,000 in support of Cancer Services across UHCW! If you would like help the Angels reach their goal of £100,000, you can make a donation at https://t.co/JbPytSXj3G pic.twitter.com/1igTwJstuP — UHCW Charity (@UHCWCharity) March 23, 2023
Arden Angels have had an incredible start to the year, as Tracie and her team have now raised more than £87,000 in support of Cancer Services across UHCW! If you would like help the Angels reach their goal of £100,000, you can make a donation at https://t.co/JbPytSXj3G pic.twitter.com/1igTwJstuP
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