Our NHS: 6 Front-line Leadership Lessons

Last week, I found myself in hospital for a long overdue surgery having waited 12 months – a waiting period some might suggest as short, in the context of our current health system challenges.

It is a well-known fact that nurses often make the worst patients, and I’m no exception.?I certainly wasn’t looking forward to being the recipient of care, and had no intentions of staying any longer than was absolutely necessary.

When you spend a life working in care, you come to notice much more about clinical environments, and when you move into leadership, your observations become less about the clinical side, and more about people and culture.

I had arrived at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport at 7am, and was admitted to the ward very efficiently, by a friendly healthcare assistant (HCA) just finishing her morning coffee.?She’d done the night shift, but was cheery, warm and had a wonderful demeanour. I’d been expecting the opposite, having seen countless RCN signs dotted around the corridors about Fair Pay for Nursing and having heard about low morale in this particular hospital.

I was shown to my hospital bay and sat down on the bed with my handbag. In the corner of the ward was a lady who had clearly just undergone extensive surgery, and as the HCA left, she caught my eye and said, “Good Morning Love, would you mind pushing my table closer to my bed?”?For the next 20 minutes, we talked and Helen* shared her story – she had been in hospital for two weeks having gone through two failed surgeries and yet, was still smiling.

Helen told me that the nurses were fabulous, and she’d been cared for brilliantly. Again, not something we hear as often as we used to working in health care. Helen explained the happenings on the ward and joked about how she’d become “the Welcome Party” for new patients – and that when she left, she was going to have a “leaving do.”?It put my mind at ease, thinking about how in just a few hours I would be recovering from a general anaesthetic after my own surgery, and that if I had to stay in overnight, it wouldn’t be so bad.

The next hour or so was a blur. The nurse on duty came to talk everything through, followed by another HCA who was taking my observations regularly. A young lad called Josh, who couldn’t have been much older than 21, laughing and joking with all the patients arriving on the ward.?It was heart-warming to see such empathy and compassion from somebody so young, who had clearly chosen his calling in life to help others.

The surgeon and anaesthetist came through next (one student each in tow), with all my notes in one place, crystal clear about what the surgery would entail.?The students’ professionalism was remarkable, and it was apparent they felt empowered by their mentors to lead the conversations with me.

And when the porter arrived, the camaraderie with the ward staff was palpable. It felt like a real team effort to keep this ward running efficiently. It was difficult to feel nervous about the operation because I felt safe, secure, and cared for – and when I came around, it got me thinking about how the patient experience had been created by a team of random individuals, who had been brought together to deliver care.

Fortunately, the procedure went well, and I was able to be discharged later the same day, but not without some real-life lessons on culture and leadership in difficult circumstances. Over the last week, whilst recovering, I’ve had time to reflect on the experience and work out the key elements that might’ve played part in creating this healthy culture…

1.??????Purpose:?

Each person in the team had clearly chosen to work in healthcare because they enjoyed it. You can’t fake empathy or being genuine – it shows up in every action and interaction.

2.??????Clarity:?

Everyone on the ward was clear on their role, and the part they played in the patient experience.

3.??????Process:?

Processes were clear yet didn’t come ahead of the patient experience – what I observed was personalisation for each patient receiving care, around a loose framework that needed to happen for safety reasons. This enabled efficiency and a fast-moving discharge cycle through the ward.

4.??????Culture:?

There was a family style culture in situ – the staff knew each other, called each other by their nicknames or preferred names, knew one another’s strengths and worked cohesively, respectful of everyone’s responsibilities.

5.??????Mentorship:

The students and junior staff members seemed empowered by their leaders to step up to the next level, without fear of making mistakes.

6.??????Co-production:?

This is really interesting. Helen’s presence on the ward created a homely bubble for every patient arriving or staying put for a while. It got me thinking about how every single person has a role to play, and if you feel passionate about something (for Helen it was making others feel more comfortable and less fearful) you can make impact in another person’s life.?Helen enabled new arrivals to feel positive about the ward, and this always makes a clinician’s work easier and more enjoyable. It’s also reaffirming to have positive feedback for your efforts.

Are we in a place where we need to realise that without working collaboratively with people receiving care, it just won't work?

So, when working in the health and social care sector, perhaps these are some lessons we can take as a collective.

Just imagine what might happen if we were all able to create a healthy, productive, and warm bubble in our teams and services, alongside people we support.

It isn’t rocket science – it just comes down to humanity.

To work with an organisation whose vision is to humanise care even further, join us at Catalyst Care Group.

*names changed for data protection