Two NUH projects shortlisted for the Nursing Times Workforce Awards
Two very valuable projects, led by staff at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, have been shortlisted for this year's Nursing Times Workforce Awards.
The awards recognise the brightest talent in workforce planning and highlights those making a difference in recruitment, staff retention, wellbeing and inclusion. Across 17 categories, teams and individuals who stand out as exceptional, going above and beyond what is expected of them, will be recognised at the awards ceremony on 22 November in London.
Nottingham Children's Hospital (NCH) Childrens Education and Practice Development Team
Have been shortlisted for the Preceptorship Programme of the Year Award for their project - Increasing education on wellbeing and resilience for newly qualified nurses.
The transition from student nurse to newly registered nurse (NRN) has never been a bigger step than now, and one that requires the foundation provided by an appropriate preceptorship programme.
National trends and increasing numbers of newly qualified staff, showed early signs of compassion fatigue or burnout. Led by Samantha Betts, Preceptorship and Development Nurse, the team wanted this project to increase the focus on wellbeing and resilience in their preceptorship programme, with the aim to improve staff experience while pre-empting possible issues with retention.
Evaluating their preceptorship programme and staff experience has allowed them to implement new education and support methods. Key outcomes include;
- Accessibility to education on wellbeing has increased for newly qualified nurses
- Evaluation has demonstrated its positive impacts and value to newly qualified nurses
- Education around wellbeing is required earlier in their preceptorship programme
- Retention has increased through the implementation of this education and support
- Consideration for the potential role out of this training to experienced staff or across multidisciplinary teams
The team members involved include - Alice Banks; Elaine Romano; Kerri Fletcher; Elizabeth Bentley; Debbie Rann; Rachel Dolby and Louise Kirk.
Sarah Wall, Staff Nurse, Neurosurgery
Has been shortlisted for the Best Staff Wellbeing Initiative Award for her project - Yoga Practitioner.
The project aims were to empower and support the mind, body and spirit of staff both as a post-covid recovery and for the continuation and upholding of overall wellbeing. This was achieved by the creation of Sarah's Yoga Practitioner role, delivering yoga practices through a variety of means to create maximum reach and uptake of service. Having frontline worker insight, challenges were considered such as time and convenience and solutions to these were found and implemented with success. Sarah now delivers Yoga locally and to the wider surgical division several times a week.
We wish both projects, and the people and teams behind them, the best of luck at the Nursing Times Workforce Awards on 22 November, as well as with the future plans for these projects.