A word from April Cowley, our Head of Clinician Experience: 3 tips for care leaders

We love talking about the experience of our clinicians, and why it's critical to providing great care. We spoke to April Cowley, our Head of Clinician Experience, about her experience and advice for others in the sector.

Tell us a bit about you, and your journey with Catalyst Care Group...

My journey so far has been wild! I started as a receptionist which I loved, yet found myself very quickly wanting more. I was always helping colleagues with tasks they didn't have time to complete or helping with office admin whilst meeting and greeting our clinicians and other visitors.

At the time my partner and I were also trying to grow our own family, and I fell pregnant after only 4 months of working in the business, and I remember being so overjoyed, yet also nervous about sharing our amazing news. I was still so fresh in my role, but everyone was so thrilled for me and that was the moment I knew this was my place and these were my people. I had a community.

When I came back from maternity leave, I moved into the role of a care coordinator for Nurseline Healthcare. At the time, I took on mostly on-call work as it slotted round a new baby perfectly, and quickly started to work on a loyalty program/project for our clinicians. This was where I really became passionate about my work, and my journey in building my own department, Clinician Care, began. Cut to today, and I am now not only leading my team but also Head of Clinician Experience!

So, what is your role all about?

My role is all about ensuring our clinicians are at the centre of every thought, action and interaction. That's what it means to us to be clinician-centric and it's my job to ensure everything we do is for the best interest of all clinicians whilst giving people space to be heard, understood and collaborate with us on this journey of mastery and how we as a company can continue to evolve for the better.?

Why is clinician-centricity so important in the care sector?

For me it's all about the domino-effect. The individuals we support, and their families deserve nothing short of excellence. Therefore, our clinicians need to be on their A-game all the time. People can't be expected to give this if we don't create opportunities for personal and professional development, stability and fantastic benefits full of reward and recognition. ?Isn't that what we all deserve?

How does culture play a part in delivering great care on the front line?

To my mind, it's simple. Everyone wants to feel they belong somewhere and are part of something great. People working with families on the front line need know they are a part of a community that treats each person as family.

What are your top 3 pieces of advice for employers when it comes to valuing their clinician workforce?

1. We can't humanise care, if we don't support our workforce. You need sick days; others need sick days. You have family emergencies; others have family emergencies. You get burnout, others get burnout. Life happens, and we are all in this together.
2. Celebrate, recognise and reward people - for work and non-work related achievements and milestones. As leaders, we have an opportunity to be people's biggest cheerleaders.
3. Prioritize people. If you know they need to talk to you, be fully present with them, no distractions. Yes, this is a bustling work environment, phones are always ringing, meetings need to be attended, admin work must be done, but if someone asks you for a chat, PRIORITIZE THEM! The gift of time and undivided attention is invaluable.

To work with April Cowley and the team across Catalyst Care Group, get in touch at [email protected].