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CNO Bulletin October 2021

A message from the CNO - Professor Nina Morgan

I'm very excited to bring you October's issue of the CNO Bulletin.

This month, I’m especially looking forward to celebrating Black History Month with you. As part of those celebrations, we’re presenting a themed CNO Bulletin which will introduce you to some of the key figures across our Trust who come from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Cardiology Modern Matron Lorna Jones will provide our Guest Introduction this month, while we also have features from two of our Ethnic Minority Aspirant Leaders, Barbara Nyamariwata and Juliah Nyamurwa Galliers.

This issue looks at the importance of allyship with Helen Eftekhari and also provides a series of webinars, conversations and panel discussions.

As always, the CNO Bulletin is completely accessible when off site. Simply search for "UHCW CNO Bulletin" on Google or follow this link for the latest issue.

In this issue

Guest Introduction: Lorna Jones

I work to principles underpinned by a belief patient care is at its best when the Nursing and Allied Health Professional workforce has a strong sense of belonging, value and purpose. Delivering healthcare services to today’s communities requires diverse and inclusive perspectives to generate creativity and innovation.

For me, equality in health and care is a priority. I am recognised for my inclusive leadership approach, ensuring all talent are nurtured and aspirations supported.

I am proud of my contribution to ensure the NHS has a caring, compassionate, well developed workforce and will continue to encourage and build the confidence in our NHS future leaders.

UHCW are proud to celebrate Black History Month by recognising the diversity of its workforce and the contribution they make.

Mary Seacole: Caring for the Nation

The Minority Ethnic Contribution to Nursing and Midwifery

Mary Seacole was born in Jamaica more than 200 years ago. This was during the period when many black people in the Caribbean were forced to work as slaves. Although Mary’s mother was black, her father James Grant was a white Scottish army officer and she was born a ‘free person’. She had a sister, Louisa, and a brother, Edward.

Mary’s mother ran a lodging house called Blundell Hall, which was much respected by local people in Kingston, Jamaica’s capital city. She was also a healer and taught Mary many of her skills using traditional Jamaican medicines.

A keen student from early childhood, Mary practised medicine on her doll, dogs, cats and on herself.

Ethnic Minority Aspirant Leaders: Barbara Nyamariwata and Juliah Nyamurwa Galliers

Barbara Nyamariwata

I was born and raised in Zimbabwe but emigrated to the UK in 1998 in order to do my nurse training. I graduated from Coventry University in 2002 and since qualifying, I have worked in Emergency Medicine for all of my career. As a result of that I have managed to gain very strong clinical skills.

I currently work as a Band 7 Ward Manager on Ward 12 which is an acute admissions unit and I have been in that position since 2014.

Despite the challenges that I have faced along the way, I am determined to continue progressing within the senior nurse leadership and management route. I see myself as an individual that is extremely passionate about developing a team, improving standards and ensuring that when patients are in hospital they always have the best outcomes. I am hoping to continue my journey in senior nurse leadership and aspire to become a Modern Matron. I feel this role will give me the ability to break barriers, serve as an opportunity and platform for me to be able to expand and develop my leadership and management skills. I want to be a role model for others and make a huge difference to people’s lives.

Juliah Nyamurwa Galliers

I was born and raised in Kenya, close to the Rift Valley. The family home I grew up in was very different to the one we have today. Back then there was no mains electricity and we fetched water from the village well.

Inspired by my mother who was a Nurse, I joined a nursing college after high school and graduated with a diploma in nursing after 3.5 years, after which I worked in different hospitals in Kenya for 10 years. Following this, I came to Coventry for under-graduate studies in Adult Nursing, followed by a master’s degree in public health, which I combined with work as a health care assistant in UHCW.

I then returned to Kenya and worked in local hospitals. A few months after my return, I successfully applied for a nursing job in the Cath lab of a Dublin hospital, although the Irish nursing board registration and visa process took a further eight months.  I learnt so much during my time in Dublin, but following my engagement decided I should return to England to join my fiancée, and so began another nursing registration and visa process which took five months. Following a year working in the Cath Lab of a Birmingham hospital, I joined the UHCW Cath Lab in February 2020 as a staff nurse.

It goes without saying the rest of 2020 was a monumental challenge for everyone in the hospital, and the wider NHS Community. I was therefore flattered to be nominated for a UHCW OSCAs Rising Star Award and to be honoured and recognised as a Coventry Local Hero by Coventry City of Culture Trust for my work during that difficult year.

My Cath Lab knowledge and skills, developed in Dublin and Birmingham, proved invaluable, and after 6 months of working at UHCW, I successfully applied for a Band 6 position. Following this, I have continued to develop my wider knowledge and skills. I have recently completed Professional Nurse Advocate Training Programme, which will enable me to support fellow colleagues, facilitate restorative clinical supervision in practise, lead and deliver quality improvement initiatives in response to service demands and ongoing changing patient requirements.

I am very proud of our diversity at UHCW, and truly believe it to be our strength. Whilst it is important to recognise the progress we have made; we must not lose sight of the work still to be done. That includes really listening to colleagues from other backgrounds, understanding the challenges they face, genuinely empathising and then making sure we all act. I strongly believe that collective, inclusive and compassionate leadership is vital in the NHS and inclusive cultures depend on inclusive leaders. I hope my story is interesting and will help inspire and educate those of similar and different backgrounds.

NHS England: Developing Aspirant Ethnic Minority Nursing Leaders Programme

Please find attached an update on Nina Jaspal’s Aspirant Ethnic Minority Leadership presentation.

Florence Nightingale Foundation: Free Leadership Support for ethnic minority Nurses in Social Care

Thanks to generous support from the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Florence Nightingale Foundation (FNF) is delighted to offer the opportunity for ethnic minority nurses working in social care to access to our hugely popular, fully funded Nightingale Frontline: Leadership Support Service.

FNF is committed to helping nurses and midwives across healthcare, including nurses working across social care who look after patients with COVID-19. The pandemic has impacted every facet of health and care and the work of social care nurses has been overlooked.

Leadership Development: Support from the Midlands Leadership and Lifelong Learning Team for nurses and midwives

The offers outlined in the attached are available to access by anyone wishing to develop their leadership skills. They are a combination of freely available, funded by the Midlands Leadership and Lifelong Learning Team and others that would incur some costs. The activities described in the document are in addition to offers made available in organisations and systems.

The Midlands Leadership and Lifelong Learning Academy offers can be found at: https://midlands.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/

Being an Ally: Helen Eftekhari

A strong passion of mine is to do what I can to work for equality. To deliver patient care, all of us need to work together.

The ethnic minority nurses have, historically in the NHS, been part of the backbone delivering nursing care. Yet, today, they still face workplace discrimination. Unconscious biases are within all of us, informed by media and societal racism. To work against these unconscious biases this includes being aware of issues faced by people from ethnic minority backgrounds which includes workplace discrimination, poor promotion, development and leadership opportunities.

Unconscious bias also takes more insidious form inherent for example in small remarks about what is “normal” or comments implying a separation such as “us” and “them”. We have to be aware of these influences on our attitudes, cultural sensitivities and gain insights into how we can all work together, whether from an ethnic minority or a predominantly white background.

We live in an amazing multicultural environment and as nurses we need to ensure we have insight into how societal influences affect how we interact together and in turn how we deliver patient care. Teams have to ensure there is inclusivity of everyone, and proactively provide opportunities for ethnic minority colleagues to develop and be integrated into a team. There needs to be a redrawing of the line which has historically held ethnic minority nurses back and we all have a responsibility to be part of this.

I am proud to work with all my ethnic minority colleagues and do whatever I can to work with colleagues to change the historical inequitable balance.

Have you heard of TRiM ? Trauma Risk Management

TRiM is an evidence-based peer-support programme designed to assist individuals who have experienced a traumatic event in the course of their work duties.

It is offered in the aftermath of an incident so that individuals do not have to 'wait and see' if they need support, but are put in touch with colleagues who have had specific training in responses to trauma and can assist staff in the first few weeks following an incident.

What is a potentially traumatic event?

Traumatic Incidents are often thought of as major catastrophic events such as acts of terror or disasters. However, events such as sudden death or department accidents can affect staff deeply. In the NHS, many staff face critical incidents every day. This ‘operational stress’ is often part of the job, but sometimes can affect staff due to a particular set of circumstances.

If a traumatic incident occurs at work, Occupational Health seeks to support managers and staff so that they are not unduly traumatised and to provide appropriate follow up care if necessary.

How to access the TRiM Service

  • See page on TrustNav or contact via: TRiMInbox@UHCW.nhs.uk
  • EAP (Health Assured available 24/7)
  • Tel: 0800 030 5182

Occupational Health

Work 8:30am-4:30pm Monday to Friday. They can help, advise and support following an incident using the guidelines above. There is access to Clinical Psychology and Counselling on a limited basis for more complex issues/individual referral.

  • Tel: 25420

Congratulations to our staff who have achieved National Certifications, supported by Continuing Professional Development Funds

Critical Care

During this pandemic the critical care workforce have shown phenomenal flexibility and adaptability, especially the 16 staff that were enrolled on the Critical Care course at Coventry University.  

This course is both academic and competency based, with placements throughout the hospital. Working alongside senior Critical Care Nurses and Advanced Practitioners, the staff are required to demonstrate their knowledge and the underpinning evidence base of critical care treatment.  

This year the course has been particularly challenging to achieve, as the majority of placements have had to be cancelled and the teaching at Coventry University has been remote. Many of the staff members have been doing bank shifts to support the unit during the pandemic and home schooling their children, all whilst also writing essays and completing assignments.

Amy Kelsey, GCCU Training and Development Sister, said: “Although it has been particularly difficult for the Critical Care students, I am immensely proud of how they have coped and what they are achieving.  They have not had the input that they usually get but have pulled together to complete their competencies, learn new skills to improve the service for the patients.”

Well done to all who have completed or are undertaking their Critical Care course over the last 18 months!

Renal Teams

Amidst the challenges of the pandemic, nine of our renal nurses have embarked on and completed the Renal Course.

This course consists of two academic modules at either level 6 or 7 and is delivered annually in partnership with Coventry University. In house study days are held in the hospital and facilitated by the Renal Training Sister, Amelia Ilustre and the Course Module Leader Richard Flemming, with the support of the Renal Clinical Nurse Specialists and Consultants.

The success of this endeavour is attributed to the collective effort of the whole Renal Service and the Trust’s financial support from the Workforce Development and Continuing Professional Development funds.

Congratulations to all of the staff who have completed the Renal course, for their dedication and hard work and to their respective clinical managers who were supportive to them despite the unprecedented events this year.

Save the Date

Zero tolerance for racism: supporting a diverse workforce to deliver for patients - Wednesday 6th October

This panel discussion forms part of 'Race Ahead - NHS Big Conversation on Race'.

Race Ahead will be a series of conversations and panel discussions on Wednesday 6th and Tuesdays 12th, 19th and 26th October, focused on the specific actions we can all take to improve the outcomes and experiences of our staff.

 

Actions and interventions that better support and improve the lives of BME staff - Monday 11th October

At this webinar you will hear from White colleagues working as middle managers / in frontline services and what difference they have made in challenging racism and discrimination, highlighting what actions and interventions they have implemented in supporting and improving the health and Well-being of colleagues from a BME background.

You can sign up here.

 

Leadership that makes a difference: positively transforming the culture of the NHS through leadership - Tuesday 12th October

This panel discussion forms part of 'Race Ahead - NHS Big Conversation on Race'.

Race Ahead will be a series of conversations and panel discussions on Wednesday 6th and Tuesdays 12th, 19th and 26th October, focused on the specific actions we can all take to improve the outcomes and experiences of our staff.

 

Improving health and wellbeing for all staff by reflecting on their lived experience - Tuesday 19th October

This panel discussion forms part of 'Race Ahead - NHS Big Conversation on Race'.

Race Ahead will be a series of conversations and panel discussions on Wednesday 6 and Tuesdays, 12, 19 and 26 October, focused on the specific actions we can all take to improve the outcomes and experiences of our staff.

 

Leadership that makes a difference - Tuesday 19th October

At this webinar you will hear from white Executive Leaders talking about their experience of addressing racism and sharing their lived experience of white allyship and how they have used their leadership to support BAME staff to drive improvements on racial justice.

You can sign up here.

 

Strategic approaches to achieving racial equality - Tuesday 26th October

This panel discussion forms part of 'Race Ahead - NHS Big Conversation on Race'.

Race Ahead will be a series of conversations and panel discussions on Wednesday 6 and Tuesdays, 12, 19 and 26 October, focused on the specific actions we can all take to improve the outcomes and experiences of our staff.

 

Impact of white Allyship for me as BAME - Tuesday 26th October

At this webinar you will be joined by BAME colleagues who have been supported by white allies. They will share the impact of their lived experience of working with a white ally, how allyship has made a difference in their working life as well how their journey has helped tackle issues of racism and encourage allies in having difficult conversations.

You can sign up here.

 

Midlands Black History Month Conference - Wednesday 27th October

Join us for our 2021 Black History Month event to celebrate, empower and embrace the talents of the black, Asian and minority ethnic workforce in health and social care across the Midlands Regions. Topics being covered are around leadership, allyship and mental health.

You can sign up here.

Tweets of the Month

 

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