Recognising the dedication of nurses on their very own day
Date published: 10 May 2018
Eileen Mills, Head of Safeguarding and Designated Nurse for Safeguarding Children at the NHS Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group
Nursing in 2018 is a modern, dynamic profession. The roles nurses fulfil are varied and the skills they have are vast.
This year NHS Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is celebrating The Royal College of Nursing’s Nurses’ Day, this Saturday (May 12), by sharing the stories of some of its nursing staff and thanking them for dedicating their careers to delivering outstanding patient care.
In Oldham, in the run up to the main event, the CCG is highlighting the work of the clinically qualified nurse managers.
The CCG prides itself on being a clinically-led organisation employing a team of medical experts, including a number of qualified nurses, who help to shape and scrutinise the services it commissions for patients.
The nurses carry out specialised roles, with key responsibilities, resulting in better overall healthcare for everyone.
Between them, the CCG’s nurse managers have accrued almost 100 years-worth of nursing experience, both on wards and in community settings, as well as in their current management roles, adding up to a significant amount of care delivered to thousands of patients over almost five decades.
Linda Collins-Izquierdo, Interim Executive Nurse at NHS Oldham CCG, said: “I’m incredibly proud to be a nurse and to have the opportunity to work with the nurses who work here at the CCG and in the wider health and social care community.
"The skills they have acquired on the frontline in numerous practices, clinics and wards have equipped them with the knowledge and experience needed to help shape and improve services for patients here in Oldham, both now and in the future.”
John Patterson, Chief Clinical Officer for NHS Oldham CCG, added: “The nurses who work with us here at the CCG are absolutely invaluable, providing us with key insight and experience which helps us to make safer decisions resulting in the best outcomes for patients.
"I’m proud to be supporting National Nurses’ Day, and I’m pleased to share some of our nurses’ stories with the patients and public of Oldham.”
Helping make things better for our elderly patients in Oldham is Andrea Evans, Quality Improvement Nurse on the Integrated Health and Social Care Team.
She said: "I work to improve care homes and dementia care, with the aim of giving elderly patients in Oldham the best possible experience.
"I’m passionate about improving things for patients but also for people who work in the care sector.
“Nurses need to have patience, compassion, empathy, the ability to see everyone’s point of view and to be able to deal with conflict successfully.
"As a nurse, we often have to deal with difficult situations, and we have to become strong advocates not just for patients and families, but also for ourselves and our colleagues.
"Being able to work with some truly amazing people is a real privilege and something that really makes it worthwhile."
Eileen Mills, Head of Safeguarding and Designated Nurse for Safeguarding Children, said: "I’ve worked on surgical wards both here and Australia, as a midwife, and also spent a substantial part of my career working as a health visitor and specialist nurse for safeguarding.
"Nursing provides all kinds of opportunities as a career, it gave me the opportunity to travel and to make a real difference to children’s lives.
“Part of my role now is to help people understand the complexity of families and the impact of social circumstances on their health and wellbeing.
"It’s my job to have to have a working knowledge of safeguarding, to promote partnership working and keep children and individuals at the heart of what we do.
"The children and families I support may never know who I am, but I know that the support and training we deliver to frontline staff helps keeps them safe, and that’s a good feeling.”
Helping to improve patient safety in Oldham is Helen Bretten, Quality & Performance Manager.
She said: "Nursing has taught me the value of life and given me the opportunities to make a real difference to patients and their families.
"After qualifying in 2003 I worked as an A&E nurse at Royal Oldham Hospital, and then moved into community, becoming a community nurse sister and later working as a triage and rapid response nurse in the community.
“My experience of frontline acute and community nursing has given me essential skills including communication, empathy, critical thinking and attention to detail which are really useful in my role.
"I’ve developed in areas including prescribing, palliative care, student mentorship and advanced clinical skills too, which shows that adaptability is key in the nursing field.
"Nursing is a very gratifying, rewarding career. It’s an exciting job that allows you to continue to learn and develop throughout your whole working life.”
Caroline Waldron, Designated Nurse - Looked After Children, added: "Before joining the CCG I spent 18 years working in hospitals and the community with children, young people and their families.
"I made the jump into management because I wanted to make a difference to improving local service delivery for all looked after children and care leavers, not just those within my direct clinical service.
“My role is to use my clinical knowledge and expertise to make sure that all looked after children can access the services they need, and to challenge any barriers that they may experience.
"I work in partnership with lots of other agencies and organisations, including the council, the police and the courts to support our most vulnerable groups.
"I love talking to children, young people and their families and knowing that my actions have made a significant difference to their lives. I’d encourage people to pursue nursing as a career.
"Although challenging, and at times even distressing, it’s also a hugely rewarding vocation filled with opportunities.”
Taking responsibility for safeguarding adults in Oldham is Janine Campbell, Designated Nurse - Safeguarding Adults, Strategic Lead for Safeguarding Adults.
She said: "I worked in the Emergency Department for six years and then moved into the safeguarding team at an acute trust. I decided to come into commissioning with the aim of being proactive with safeguarding.
"Within the acute trust, a lot of the role was being reactive to situations and I wanted to try and make a difference before the crisis occurs.
“Nursing is difficult at times. However, the rewards far outweigh these difficult times.
"Nursing is more than a career, it’s a way of life.
"I love that we can make a difference in a person’s life.
"No matter where the nurse is based, we look at the person holistically and provide care, treatment, advice or support and hopefully improve people’s situation.”
To find out more about Nurses’ Day 2018 follow the #thisnurse hashtag on twitter or visit www.rcn.org.uk
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