The Public Health Agency (PHA) provides COVID-19 information for the public at: https://www.publichealth.hscni.net/covid-19-coronavirus.
This includes information regarding the Northern Ireland COVID-19 Vaccination Programme and guidance to HSC staff, healthcare workers, care providers, professionals, organisations, schools, colleges and universities.
Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland in partnership with ORCHA (Organisation for Review of Care and Health Apps) developed a library of Apps to support health and social wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The library provide useful support and information on how to manage stress and improve wellbeing, sleep management, staying fit and nutrition – accessible via a smart phone or PC at: apps4healthcareni.hscni.net.
Coronavirus will be with us for some time, and this will change the way we provide many of those services. Some of the factors that will influence service delivery are: the need to ensure that effective infection control measures are in place; the need for effective social distancing, wherever possible; the availability of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE); the availability of staff; and, budgetary constraints
Details regarding all our services and contact telephone numbers are provided within our A-Z Guide. Please note staff may call from a withheld number, if you think it could be us please pick up.
In light of disruption, our staff are doing things differently. Some parts of our service are connecting virtually with service users using a video-calling service called ZOOM.
This will be kept under review but has involved the cancellation of some non-urgent elective procedures. Anyone impacted has been contacted directly. If you have not been contacted, please attend your appointment as normal.
Outpatient Appointments
Please remember the hospital visiting policy when attending Outpatient Appointments and, if it is possible, please only attend by yourself (in the case of adults).
Assistant Director, Allied Health Professions (AHPs), Northern Health and Social Care Trust
Let’s celebrate International AHPs Day!
Friday 14 October is Allied Health Professions Day – a unique opportunity to celebrate the skills of Allied Health Professionals who support the health and wellbeing of people living in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust area, from Newtownabbey to Ballycastle, Coleraine to Cookstown and everywhere in-between.
Allied Health Professionals work as part of multidisciplinary teams and with local partners; councils, schools, care homes, hospitals, voluntary agencies and many more to tackle health inequalities.
In the Northern Trust;
Dietitians are addressing health inequalities of communities in Ballymena by running healthy eating courses and practical cooking sessions promoting cooking from scratch, healthy changes to diet and a reduction in take away foods Slow Cooking For Communities.
Occupational Therapists in partnership with Ulster University are leading innovation in the treatment of upper limb impairments following stroke.
Orthoptist clinics are supporting specialist assessment of visual problems, eye movement disorders, squints and double vision.
Paramedic students are welcomed by AHPs and other professions in various settings across the Trust to complete practice based learning.
First Contact Physiotherapists are working in local GP Practices to help people manage pain, disability and injury.
Podiatry clinics are delivered locally in a large number of towns to meet the needs of local people including those with diabetes.
Radiographers are providing diagnostic services and supporting flow through emergency departments.
Speech and Language Therapists are working in partnership with nurses, dietitians and other professionals to develop and implement Food and Drink Safety Pause in care settings before meal times, to promote awareness of people at risk from eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties. This work has been up-scaled regionally.
These initiatives demonstrate the impact AHPs have on the health and wellbeing of people in our local area. AHPs help people to manage complex health conditions, support return to school or work and live independently at home. They are leaders in public health and take a population level approach to address the care needs of people living in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust.
So today, a big shout out to celebrate AHP Support Workers, Dietitians, Occupational Therapists, Orthoptists, Podiatrists, Physiotherapists, Radiographers, Speech and Language Therapists and Paramedics who work across the area.
In September 2020 the Department of Health approved the Trust’s outline business case for the provision of a new 134 single-bedroom Mental Health Inpatient Service (MHIS) on the Antrim Hospital site.
It is anticipated that the £80m capital investment will deliver a new state-of-the art facility that will address the failures in the existing facilities including:
Lack of single bedrooms
Limited access to secure outdoor space
Inadequate provision for family visiting and dining
Outdated activity rooms with inadequate space to support structured therapeutic interventions or provide quiet areas for patients requiring space
Inadequate accommodation for staff changing, rest breaks and dining.
Current Status
The project is currently progressing through the planning and design phase
Given the significance of staff absence in relation to the impact on our services, we will publish staff absence figures regularly.
Please note that the COVID-19 absence figures change not just on a daily but hourly basis due to the high levels of community transmission and the associated contact tracing requirements.
Staff Absence Figures
as at:
No. of staff employed by the Trust
No. of staff absent due to COVID-19(COVID Symptoms/Confirmed + Self-Isolating/Shielding)
No. of staff absent due to COVID Symptoms or Confirmed COVID
No. of staff absent due to Self-Isolating or Shielding
25th April 2022
How To Be Your Best Self from 1.30pm
This session will cover:
What is the best version of you.
The barriers we face when becoming our best self.
How do we become our best self?
The benefits of being true to yourself.
The different versions of our best self.
Facilitator: Helen McGahan, Health and wellbeing specialist for Usel. Helen facilitates workshops and 1-2-1 sessions for the clients on the Stride project in Usel. She specialises in health and wellbeing, and she provides employer training on Disability & Autism awareness.
30th May 2022
Self Acceptance & Self Love from 1.30pm
This session will cover:
What is self acceptance?
Why is self acceptance important?
Barriers to self-love
How to love & accept yourself
Facilitator: Helen McGahan, Health and wellbeing specialist for Usel. Helen facilitates workshops and 1-2-1 sessions for the clients on the Stride project in Usel. She specialises in health and wellbeing, and she provides employer training on Disability & Autism awareness.
Facilitator: Helen McGahan, Health and wellbeing specialist for Usel. Helen facilitates workshops and 1-2-1 sessions for the clients on the Stride project in Usel. She specialises in health and wellbeing, and she provides employer training on Disability & Autism awareness.
Practical ways that may help overcome sleep difficulties.
Facilitators:
Gwen Blackwell – Gwen is a social worker within the NHSCT based in the Recovery college. She plans and facilitates a range of educational courses based on mental health and general well-being topics. Gwen also shares her own lived experience throughout sessions, offering helpful hints and tips that she uses to support her wellness. Gwen is also involved with student social work programmes within the NHSCT.
Paul McCarroll – Paul is a peer trainer within the Recovery College. This means Paul uses his own lived experience of mental health to contribute to the planning and facilitating of all the college educational sessions. Paul shares his own recovery story throughout college sessions, instilling hope and helpful tips in relation to practical things that support his well-being.
22nd August 2022
Transition into Further and Higher Education from 1.30pm
This session will cover:
Role of Student Services and Education Support.
Student Finance and DSA.
Support with transition into College and University .
Support throughout the year and reasonable adjustments.
What you can expect from the move into early adulthood.
Outline what rights autistic young people have to support and advice from the health, education and career services to plan this transition.
Advice on how autistic young people and parents can make informed choices.
Facilitators:
Lisa Burns- NRC Student Finance Coordinator
Emma Porritt- NRC Education Support Coordinator
Stephen McCartney- NRC Head of Student Services
Sarah Harte – AccessAbility Adviser Ulster University Jordanstown/Belfast
Christina Curran – Education and Transitions Advice Coordinator for National Autistic Society (Northern Ireland)
26th September 2022
Living with Anxiety from 1.30pm
This session will cover:
What is anxiety?
What causes anxiety?
What anxiety feels like.
Tips for managing anxiety.
Facilitator: Helen McGahan, Health and wellbeing specialist for Usel. Helen facilitates workshops and 1-2-1 sessions for the clients on the Stride project in Usel. She specialises in health and wellbeing, and she provides employer training on Disability & Autism awareness.
The session will cover breathing exercises, warm ups, some yoga stretches, then winding down into relaxation.
Previous experience, fancy equipment or being particularly flexible is not needed. Just wear something comfortable and maybe have some water nearby.
Everything will be guided and relaxed with modifications given to allow you to go at your own pace or push yourself a little deeper.
Facilitator: Anita O’Connell from Sanctuary Yoga
Zoom Meeting ID: 879 4664 3664
Passcode: 681225
28th November 2022
All Out Discussion Workshop from 1.30pm
This session will cover:
What does LGBTQI+ mean?
Discuss questions
How to be more LGBTQI+ inclusive
Facilitator: Jo McParland – Education and Training Manager for Cara Friend. Deliver training to those who would like to know more about the LGBTQI+ community.
19th December 2022
Family Support for Autistic Parents from 1.30pm
We support families where a parent has a learning difficulty or is autistic. We work with expectant and new parents with children under five to support them by building confidence, develop skills and make them more connected to their communities.
This session will give an overview of what NOW Group Family Support can do as well as answer any questions or queries.
Facilitator: Claire Hanna – Family Service Project Officer North East Area Now Group.
Zoom
Meeting ID: 898 7686 6414
Passcode: 107300
30th January 2023
Dietary Needs from 1.30pm
This session will cover:
Why a balanced diet is important?
What is a balanced diet and how to achieve it?
Recipe and meal/snack ideas .
Food aversion.
Facilitators: The Health Improvement Dietetic Team within the Northern Health and Social Care Trust.
27th March 2023
Specialisterne NI; WHO,WHY, WHERE AND HOW from 1.30pm
Specialisterne NI is a community interest company which supports autistic and neurodivergent people to get ready for, secure, and progress in rewarding careers.
This session will cover:
Changing the dialogue around being autistic.
Connecting with each other over shared interests, experiences and encouraging each other.
Aiming towards building a sense of confidence, identity and a feeling of resilience.
Facilitators: Sharon is Founder and Managing Director of Specialisterne NI.
What made you choose Causeway Hospital as a place to work?
I am from Portstewart originally. The concept of working in your own community and providing a service for your own community is really important to me. I wanted to work in my own community.
What do you love most about working at Causeway Hospital?
What I love most about working in Causeway Hospital is the sense of community. I know all my colleagues by name. It’s a very collegiate culture, different specialties and different teams come together to provide the best possible care for our patients.
How would you describe the culture here at Causeway Hospital?
We work together for the benefit of our patients. The culture is that of a team collaborating to provide the best care not just of our patients but for each other.
What are the benefits of the Causeway location?
This is the best place in the world to live. The quality of life is amazing. The beaches, scenery and walks are unrivalled. There are loads of fabulous restaurants and shops. If you’re into surfing or being in the water, or boating, or fishing, or golf, then this is the place for you.
What is the single best thing about working in Causeway?
The work life balance.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I run and I enjoy walks on the beach with the dogs. I am a Leicester City fan. I am a keen but ‘very amateur’ golfer. During the Open Championship, I was the medic for the pre-tournament planning committee and I worked with the on course medical team.
In your daily work, how are you able to make a difference to patients?
The team is flexible and allows us to make quick changes in order to improve the patient experience and outcome without having to go through a lot of processes. The teams in Causeway are flexible enough and small enough to change things quickly to make a difference. We have a management structure that supports us in doing this. One of the strengths in Causeway Hospital is that our services are clinically led but they’re managerially supported and we have a very good relationship between clinicians and management.
How have you been able to shape services at Causeway Hospital?
We continue to develop the service to match the needs of the local population and we are facilitated in how we can do this. For instance we have set up a frailty unit to manage these particular presentations to the hospital.
What facilities and training opportunities are there at Causeway Hospital?
Causeway is a postgraduate and undergraduate training site with a solid teaching programme. All the consultants are dedicated to providing medical education and training and there are lots of opportunities to do so.
What do you love most about working at Causeway Hospital?
What I love most about working here is the environment and the friendliness of the staff. Everyone is so welcoming. It feels like one big family. It’s a home away from home for me.
How would you describe the culture here at Causeway Hospital?
At Causeway Hospital, everyone is so welcoming and always ready to help.
What are the benefits of the Causeway location?
The best aspect of the Causeway location is being close to the North Coast. Our job is quite demanding and stressful, so finding ways to de-stress is vital. A walk along the beautiful seaside or the coastline is always mentally and physically refreshing. I couldn’t be any happier living only 10 minutes’ drive from a coast that is breathtakingly stunning.
Additionally, the landscapes and the natural beauty Northern Ireland has, provides perfect opportunities for photography. Photography being one of my hobbies, and having travelled to many places in the world, I would say Northern Ireland has one of the best features for landscape photography. To be able to connect with nature and enjoy it is one of many blessings I got to witness coming here.
What is the single best thing about working in Causeway?
There are many things I like about Causeway but if I must pick one, I’d say “my team”. They have always been so caring and supportive. Being away from family is hard sometimes, but my team has never failed to make me feel at ease. I wouldn’t have been able to survive the pandemic without their love and support. I am so pleased to say that they are my second family.
In your daily work, how are you able to make a difference to patients?
What I do daily has a significant impact on patients and their lives. My profession, for me, is beyond just treating disease and saving lives. From providing optimal care to the patients, to building a good rapport with them along with their family and most importantly being a part of their journey are crucial parts of my day-to-day job. It is so humbling to care for the patients on some of their hardest days and yet at the same time be able to give them hope and put a smile on their faces. Additionally, I have and will be working on projects to continuously improve the service we as a team provide to the patients to ensure best and timely delivery of care.
How have you been able to shape services at Causeway Hospital?
A part of our responsibility as a healthcare professional is to ensure we continuously work towards improving the service we provide as a team. I have led various quality improvement projects such as launching an electronic handover system in Causeway to ensure safe handover, implementation of Cirrhosis bundle, Upper GI bleed bundle, SBP bundle as well as HAS administration chart. This has proven to improve better patient centered care, effectiveness, and most importantly patient safety thereby reducing mortality. I am also responsible for conducting GI induction for the juniors during each changeover.
What facilities and training opportunities are there at Causeway Hospital?
There are plenty of training and learning opportunities here in Causeway Hospital. We have departmental teaching at least 3 times a week as well as radiology teaching session every Monday. We regularly perform bedside teaching, focusing on clinical and procedural skills. Juniors are actively encouraged to participate in ward rounds and are provided with opportunities to ask questions. We facilitate clinic attendance and various multidisciplinary meetings. In addition, medical handover and weekend handover meetings are equally good learning opportunities for the juniors.
The Health and Social Care Service in Northern Ireland is recruiting to Perioperative Nursing roles in the specialist areas of anaesthetics, surgery and post anaesthetic care units (Recovery).
Why not think about joining the team!
These are exciting opportunities with training, development and a career pathway designed to support you.
Hear from Stacey McKnight, Clinical Sister in Theatres at Antrim Area Hospital.
Maria Scullion, Theatre Nurse, Causeway Hospital
My name is Maria Scullion and I have worked in theatres for 7 years. I really enjoy that theatre nursing is so varied. The job is all about teamwork and supporting each other. There is so much to learn which keeps me motivated and driven. Our team is made up of all grades of staff, from nursing assistants, ATO’s, medical students and consultants. We all learn from each other and have fun in the process. We work closely with other multidisciplinary teams such as Emergency Department staff, Intensive Care Unit and Maternity, which forms good working relationships in Causeway Hospital in Coleraine.
Student Nurses, Theatres, Antrim Area Hospital
We have had 14 weeks placement experience in Antrim Area Hospital Theatres. We feel we have developed our skills, communication and knowledge within this interdisciplinary team setting. All members of staff in both theatres and recovery have been an outstanding support for our learning and progression during this challenging time, as coming to theatres during the COVID-19 pandemic was initially overwhelming. However, we have really enjoyed and valued our experience here and the skills and qualities we have gained here will continue to carry these throughout our nursing careers.
Cara Johnston and Cheyene Wilson, Antrim Area Hospital Theatres
Hi, I’m Ruth. I’m a District Nursing Sister in the Magherafelt District Nursing Team.
I always wanted to be a nurse. I never considered another career. As a child, I was always fascinated with hospitals. I entered the world of caring from a young age at 17 when I commenced the role of care assistant in a local nursing home whilst I studied for my A levels. I went on to study nursing at Queen’s University Belfast and began my career as a staff nurse in Belfast City Hospital.
Despite wanting to be a surgical nurse, a job shortage at the time resulted in me taking up a post in general medicine and I have remained in that area of nursing. I briefly moved to Antrim Area Hospital’s admissions unit before accepting a community nursing post close to home. Incidentally it was with the team of nurses who had cared for my late grandmother only two years previous and had inspired me to pursue a role in community care. I was delighted to work with such an experienced and professional team of staff who readily welcomed me into their world.
When I commenced work as a community staff nurse in December 2012, I felt I found my ‘niche’. I love meeting patients in their own home and following their care journeys, whether this involves nursing them back to good health, supporting them with their chronic illness or providing end of life care – each journey is so personal and individual. I feel it is a privilege that as nurses we are granted access into the patient’s own home and have the opportunity to develop a rapport with the individual and their family and carers to facilitate holistic, quality, person-centred care.
I qualified as a District Nurse last summer and progressed to a District Nursing Sister role in October 2019. This was the perfect opportunity to implement the theories of leadership that I had learned during the completion of the Specialist Practice Qualification in District Nursing, whilst getting to grips with this new job role. The Nightingale Challenge was also a great opportunity at an ideal time, to progress as a leader within my own role. It gave the time to develop networks with other nurses and midwives, observe leadership within the Trust, and reflect on this in order to implement it into my own role. There were clear goals laid out and a schedule of events where we could network and avail from learning opportunities that may not have presented themselves otherwise.
‘Anticipation of great change…’
Taking on my new role and entering into the Nightingale programme took place against the backdrop of increased concern about COVID-19. There was anticipation of great change upon us and curiosity over how it would impact us as individuals. I had been greatly enthused about the fact that 2020 was dedicated as ‘Year of the Nurse and the Midwife’. Finally, our profession and vocation was to get the recognition it so readily needed and deserved and I was passionate to be part of a collective, global effort to promote the professionalism of nursing, and in particular District Nursing. Unbeknown to me at that stage, nurses and midwives would quickly observe what has been our greatest challenge yet in our lifetime and the stage was already being set in a very real arena of how we would exemplify our professionalism to a global audience through our actions in a rapidly evolving climate. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted significantly on this journey. Events were cancelled; ‘Zoom’ became a meeting method. As nurses, we faced the continually evolving demands of a global pandemic, a phenomenon that we have never experienced in our lifetime. However, I feel as a Northern Nightingale, I have a deepened sense of belonging with my peers in this group. In sharing our experiences in the limited, remote times we have experienced since, makes that time precious. In a virtual Schwartz round in August, three extremely brave Nightingales shared their experience. Schwartz Rounds are group reflective practice forums giving staff from all disciplines an opportunity to reflect on the emotional and social aspects of working in healthcare. It was touching, emotional and shed new light on how diverse our leadership experiences have been throughout this pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore the values that I hold dear and would wish to demonstrate on a personal level in my work. The leadership that I witnessed amongst my leaders and peers alike conveyed steadfastness, support, knowledge that was up to date in real time and the feeling of approachability. Managers led by example in their expertise being shared with care homes where they provided hands on care. There was real compassion shown when I struggled to meet childcare needs. Yes, there were the professional demands of work but like many, many others, I have two young children at home who needed their mum too. It was during the ‘lockdown’ period that I discovered that we were expecting child number three. This altered my role to provide leadership and support from the peripheral rather than the front – something that I struggled with.
‘Faced with adversity…’
Faced with adversity, my team demonstrated utmost professionalism. Relationships with one another were further strengthened at a time when they could have been challenged. The dying patient still had their hand held, the frail and elderly continued to enjoy the social aspect of our visits, albeit behind the now normal Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and we maintained the usual business of supporting our caseload and the additional new referrals we received during this period. My focus was to build upon this, knowing that these attributes would assist us to get through it together. However, the standards that innately existed within my team members really shone through and exemplified respect, candour, excellence and working well together resiliently and with real care and camaraderie with one another. The team were my eyes and ears of the caseload and I feel very blessed to work with them because of their abilities in applying collective leadership.
Our first encounter with a patient diagnosed with COVID-19 set the bar for future encounters. The advanced communication skills of the District Nurse were tested to the limits. A clear aim within the team from the outset of this crisis was that no patient in the community or their family should feel marginalised. As nurses, we are well versed in caring for patients with various infections and this would be no different. All steps were taken to communicate effectively with them and telephone contact took place prior to the visit. In the telephone exchange, a description of what PPE would be worn on the visit was discussed. We discussed issues like waste disposal as well as our role as a District Nursing Team. Collaborative care planning was set out to empower the patient, and a rapport was developed rapidly which was informative, allaying fears and anxieties whilst protecting their person centred needs, and instilling trust and confidence. I later received heart-warming feedback from one particular patient who conveyed that they automatically relaxed when contacted, that the initial fear they experienced at potentially transmitting this illness to staff entering the house was alleviated, and that despite relying on the District Nursing Team, the feeling of independence that this person wished for was facilitated by the Team.
A Northern Trust Festival of Appreciation was held online in August and I had the privilege of participating in the event ‘Leading through extraordinary times’. During this session we were acquainted with James Kerr. As the wife of a former rugby player, this immediately piqued my interest in knowing that this gentleman had spent time with and written a book about the leadership within the New Zealand All Blacks – I was a little star-struck! In his seminar, James Kerr highlighted the need for humility, compassion and respect to allow flourishing within a team. With a backdrop of an impending second wave approaching, there was an air of anticipation but with more knowledge than the first and experience under our belts, James reassured us that we are more than capable of facing the challenges ahead.
I feel that I only skim the surface in reflecting on how I have developed my own coping strategies and resilience during this time. Prior to the lockdown period, if someone asked how I was, I was likely to respond “busy”. Whilst that is still very much the case, I have personally learned that my time does not need to be filled like it used to be. I have learned that the enjoyment of a walk in the great outdoors, greater reliance on my faith, spending much appreciated time with my loved ones and enjoying the beauty that our own country has to offer, have been invaluable in unwinding from the demands of work and establishing the work life balance.
Winter pressures have certainly arrived prematurely in 2020 and are presently in full swing against the positive backdrop of an incoming vaccine programme. It is my hope that we may begin to experience the important elements of what was normal to us in the past. I feel that with the hope that comes with 2021, as nurses and midwives, our professionalism will be truly recognised, even celebrated in the long term and not just for a designated period; that we will face the future as empowered individuals and most importantly that we nurture ourselves with the same kindness as we provide to others in our care.
Ruth McDowell, District Nursing Sister, Magherafelt District Nursing Team
Ruth is one of the 27 Northern Trust nurses and midwives taking part in the Nightingale Challenge, launched by Nursing Now which is a programme of the Burdett Trust for Nursing, to improve health globally in collaboration with the International Council of Nursing and the World Health Organisation. The Nightingale Challenge asks for every large healthcare employer to provide leadership and development training for a group of young nurses and midwives during 2020, the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.
Hannah Esler always wanted to help people and to make a difference. She is proud of her work in supporting people with poor mental health, and gets a great sense of job satisfaction when she sees a positive change in people.
In this week’s Nightingale Blog, Hannah highlights the impact of COVID and an increased demand on mental health services – and the importance of remaining connected with service users, to help reduce isolation and loneliness.
I have always wanted to help people; to make a difference, that’s why I chose a career in nursing. I am a Mental Health Nurse working within the Community Mental Health Team for Older People in Newtownabbey. I have worked with this brilliant and professional team for over two years. I am proud of the work we do to support people suffering from poor mental health on their journey to recovery, and their carers, and for the support we provide to services users living with a dementia and their families. There is a great sense of job satisfaction when you see the positive change in people resulting from the person-centred care and support we provide.
There has always been a stigma attached to poor mental health, resulting in people not reaching out for the help and support available. Part of my role is to reduce that stigma, promote the importance of seeking help and support, and raising awareness of available services and resources through collaborative working with the voluntary sector.
My job entails face to face visits with people in their own homes – an environment where they are most comfortable and are able to be open and honest, facilitating a rich and detailed account of their health problems and individual assessed needs. Since COVID-19, this is no longer the case. We have had to adapt to a virtual way of working, utilising apps such as Zoom, when appropriate; the positive in this is that we were able to remain connected with our service users, and provide the best support we could, to help reduce isolation and loneliness within the age group we work with. However, in mental health, a big part of the assessment is interpreting a service user’s body language and when assessments are being completed via telephone or even Zoom, it has not been possible to effectively interpret this. A dementia diagnosis can be earth-shattering for a person and their family; dementia affects a person’s ability to communicate, making virtual discussions and support even more difficult. However, having an already established rapport with service users, their families and carers, helped in overcoming this barrier.
Prior to COVID-19, I already had an established workload. The pandemic has increased the demand for mental health services therefore the workload has increased, but the team I work alongside is very supportive and we help each other in every way possible to meet the demand whilst continuing to provide high quality care to all our service users and their families. It has also outlined some very important aspects of the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code and standards of practice with regards to prioritising people and ensuring their needs are being met appropriately whilst preserving safety.
‘Having an open door is fundamental’
We are all leaders, and have an important role to play in our teams. Different leadership styles promote different outcomes within the team, some can get the best out of a team and others can prevent a team from working effectively. However, for us in the job we do, compassionate leadership, working together and supporting each other by always having an ‘open door’ is fundamental. Leadership has never been more important than it is now during the COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic has given me the opportunity to further develop my decision making and communication skills. I have had to communicate in new ways and with people that I would have previously never had any contact with.
I was afforded the opportunity to develop my own leadership skills by being part of the Nightingale Challenge Global Leadership Development Programme; the programme was launched to coincide with the Year of Nurse and Midwife 2020. I was excited when my name was put forward. Initially, I wasn’t sure what the programme would entail, but that was part of the excitement. Firstly, we attended a two day workshop at Stormont Hotel in Belfast. The programme commenced with some thought provoking presentations and conversations from other nurse leaders from all around the world. The sessions included meeting Professor Charlotte McArdle, Chief Nursing Officer for Northern Ireland and a captivating presentation from Howard Catton, Chief Executive Officer with the International Council of Nurses, Geneva. We were also able to connect with Dr Tedros Adhanon Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization.
Sharing experiences
Little did we know what was ahead of us and the layout and facilitation of the programme was about to change. Just like with many services across the Trust, the programme had to adapt and since March 2020 we have completed our workshops via Zoom. Even though these were completed virtually, it did not impact on the delivery; it continued to afford us the opportunity to catch up with each other and also network with other young nurses from around the world and discuss what challenges they are facing as young leaders. It has been a real benefit to continue to link with my colleagues on both the Global Leadership Development Programme and Northern Nightingales. It has been fantastic to be able to share experiences of working throughout the pandemic and is reassuring to know that everyone has experienced difficult times but we are in it together and the support from my fellow nurses has been so beneficial.
At the beginning of the programme, I developed a number of professional and personal goals which I hoped I would achieve throughout the year. COVID-19 has impacted on my progression with these goals, as with everyone the focus and priority changed drastically in a short space of time. Two professional goals in particular included; raising the profile of mental health nursing, and developing skills to implement a drive for development and innovation within my team. Mental Health Nursing is under represented and I am proud to be able to utilise the programme as a platform to talk about this field of nursing, raise its profile and to contribute to shared learning both regionally and internationally.
I have had the opportunity to progress a quality improvement (QI) project, and to support this project we received training from the Northern Trust’s Innovation and Quality Improvement Lead, Gill Smith. This training was very beneficial in outlining the fundamentals that are required to make a QI project successful. The training was completed via Zoom and the group number was small which meant we were able to discuss our projects individually and get support and advice specific to each project. It also provided the opportunity to network and collaborate with staff from other departments within the Trust.
I am an advocate for self-care and particularly within mental health nursing, self-care is so important. It is key to develop coping strategies that are personal and work for you, something we do with service users on a regular basis. COVID-19 has made me realise even more how important self-care is, it has increased my own self-awareness and made me more resilient, it has encouraged me to take time for myself to do the things I enjoy. Working during the pandemic has had its challenges but it has also made me so proud of the job I do.
Hannah Esler, Community Psychiatric Nurse, Community Mental Health Team for Older People, Newtownabbey.
Participant in the Northern Ireland Global Leadership Development Programme.
Hannah is one of five Northern Trust staff participating in the Northern Ireland Global Leadership Development Programme which is part of the Nightingale Challenge launched by Nursing Now, to enable the next generation of nurses and midwives to play a bigger role in multi-disciplinary teams, working together to improve health and influence policy. The Nightingale Challenge encourages healthcare employers to support at least 20 nurses and midwives to develop their leadership skills during the 2020 International Year of the Nurse and Midwife.
