Introduction
This report provides an overview of my learning and development during my leadership scholarship, which was generously sponsored by the Florence Nightingale Foundation and Health Education North Central and East London.
Background
I applied for a Florence Nightingale Foundation Leadership Scholarship to further develop my leadership skills and potential and to be better prepared for the next level of career opportunity, particularly as I felt that I was at a crossroads in my career. Also I had recently undertaken part-time PhD studies whilst working full-time and I had become very focused on completing my research but upon reflection, I realised that perhaps this had been to the detriment of my broader professional and career development.
Learning and Development
As I embarked on my scholarship year I was determined to make the most of the learning opportunities available, whilst ensuring that these were aligned to my personal and professional development needs as identified through the leadership diagnostic work I had undertaken with Sue Machell. I researched potential leadership programmes to find one that was the ‘best fit’ and I planned other educational opportunities and visits around my patient care improvement project.
Participating in the Leading Change and Organisational Renewal (LCOR) programme was an excellent opportunity to get to know the other scholars. Working through the LCOR framework to investigate current healthcare issues with a small team of fellow scholars was helpful and enabled me to feel confident in applying this new methodology in my work settings.
In May I travelled to Boston to participate in the Women and Power Programme at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. This was a rich learning experience with over 50 participants from a number of different countries and professional backgrounds. My learning during this programme included:
- gaining greater insight into gender equality and bias
- a better understanding of the impact of gender upon career negotiations
- analysing my networks and identifying where gaps exist
- developing my career story
- how to use storytelling for maximum impact
- a better understanding of immunity to change
The Westminster Experience helped me to gain a better insight into the work pressures of the Secretary of State for Health and his team and how a broad range of factors can impact upon the development and implementation of policies. Furthermore it enabled me to enhance my media communication skills.
The three day programme at RADA was one of the most interesting and insightful training programmes I have ever undertaken. I found it particularly beneficial as it enabled me to gain greater understanding of how I can improve my communication skills in particular contexts, for example managing challenging behaviours, as well as achieving greater personal presence and impact.
Patient Care Improvement Project
The overarching aim of my patient care improvement project was to gain greater knowledge and insight into international models of nursing excellence and their impact upon the quality of patient care and nursing recruitment and retention. I was also interested in their transferability to the UK context.
On investigating options to improve recruitment and retention, I became increasingly interested in the American Nurses Credentialing Centre (ANCC) Magnet® recognition programme which is synonymous with high quality patient care delivered through a well-educated, highly engaged nursing workforce. I was however aware that other scholars were either interested in or had completed projects in this area and I did not wish to replicate work which had already been undertaken. Therefore in addition to the Magnet® Recognition Programme, the other models I considered were the ANCC Pathway to Excellence® Programme, the Planeteree Patient-Centred Designation Programme and Buurtzorg model of nurse led community care.
I undertook literature reviews and mapping work to identify the key principles and concepts behind each of the models of nursing excellence and quality under review.
I visited the two organisations currently pursuing Magnet® accreditation in the UK, I spoke to senior nurses with first-hand experience of the Magnet® journey and I participated in the UK Magnet Alliance and research sub group.
In order to see first-hand the impact of these models in accredited organisations, I visited two hospitals in the United States of America – Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City and the Elmhurst Hospital, Chicago both of these organisations had Magnet® recognition and Elmhurst had also achieved Planetree Patient-Centred Designation with distinction.
I attended the Planteree conference in Chicago which provided me with the opportunity to learn about the fundamental principles of Planetree Patient-Centred Designation. It was estimated that 15% of the Planetree journey relates to changes in the physical environment, whilst 85% relates to the people in the organisation. Planetree Patient-Centred Designation provides a structured, operational framework for evaluating the organisational systems and processes necessary to sustain organisational culture change. Under the Planetree philosophy the workforce is highly valued and opportunities to be involved in staff retreats resulted in positive outcomes for staff and patients.
A Planetree Patient-Centred Learning collaborative is underway with the National University to transform the learning and lived experiences of students, faculty and the university and this is of particular interest to me in my role within Health Education England.
REFLECTIONS
The past 12 months have been an amazing experience and I have developed in so many ways both professionally and personally. As a result of participating in the Women and Power programme and the communication workshops at RADA, I now have greater ownership of my personal power and authority, accompanied with an increased confidence and gravitas.
My personal insight benefited from the leadership diagnostic work at the beginning of the programme and through reflective discussions with my excellent mentor. I have worked hard to build on my strengths whilst addressing my weaknesses. This has not always been easy as it has taken me out of my comfort zone on many occasions but ultimately I now feel I have more rounded and fine-tuned leadership skills and greater personal insight.
During my scholarship I met so many inspirational leaders at all levels, in both the UK and USA, and I have observed and learned from their approaches. I recognise that this development work is part of a longer journey and I commit to continuing to develop and improve in my future career.
I also intend to identify ways to continue to develop the work I have undertaken to review models of nursing excellence and seek out opportunities to influence the development of a UK model of nursing excellence, which drives improvements in patient-centred care and supports nursing recruitment and retention.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Finally I would like to express my immense gratitude to the following:
The Florence Nightingale Foundation and Health Education North Central and East London for their generous sponsorship and for providing me with this exceptional personal and professional development opportunity
My employers at Health Education England and NHS Improvement for their support, encouragement and for allowing me to take study leave throughout my scholarship
Professor Elizabeth Robb OBE, Chief Executive, Florence Nightingale Foundation for her expert guidance and support
My mentor Professor Hilary McCallion CBE for her exceptional leadership insight, encouragement and wise counsel
Ms Janet Shallow, Leadership Programme Manager, Florence Nightingale Foundation for her proactive and efficient approach in dealing with enquires and booking requests
My fellow scholars for the insight and friendship shared during our respective leadership journeys.