Leading Care: Ward Sisters and Charge Nurses
Brendan McGrath
Assistant Director of Nursing
WHSCT
Development of Ward Sister/Charge Nurse Roles
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Leadership Development activities in legacy Trusts
Local and Commercial designs
Focused on experienced Ward Sisters/Charge Nurses
Poor monitoring of application of learning to practice and
changes in behaviour
Limited formal support for new Ward Sisters/Charge
Nurses
No serious consideration of succession planning
Leadership Development activities in legacy Trusts
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CNLP (DHSSPS/BMC)
MDOD
RCN Clinical Leadership
LEO
Trust programmes with
internal and external
speakers
Leadership symposiums
Succession Planning….
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Recruitment challenges for
Ward Sisters/Charge Nurse
roles
Partnership with HR
Formal programme – Band 5
and 6.
Programme incorporated KSF
and LQF
ECG Funded and NIPEC QA
applied
3 Cohorts complete - No.50
Measures of success
Induction…
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Developed in 2008
Newly appointed to Band
7 and 8 roles
8 days – over 6 months
LQF framework
Leadership and
management focus
Staff Nurse Development…
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Initiated in 2006 – Foyle legacy – now Trust-wide
Band 5 Nurses
6 day programme – 6 weeks
Personal effectiveness within Teams
Delivered by NEDC and MDOD
Input from Trust speakers
Positive evaluation – participants and managers
Mentorship Preparation
The Role of the Ward Sister/Charge Nurse
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Clinical Experience
Sister v Manager
Respect for colleagues
Increase in paperwork
Frustration – not in control
Staffing levels and skill mix
Communication
Hospital Cleanliness
Leading Care: Ward Sister Charge Nurse Regional
Project
Aim of the Project
To create a dynamic role which empowers ward managers to:
 participate in the delivery of the organisation’s objectives
 maintain and monitor a safe and effective environment
 improve and enhance the patient and client experience
 manage and develop the performance of their team.
Project Groups
Project
Support
Steering Group
NIPEC Project Lead
Bronagh Scott
Working Group
NIPEC Project Lead
Brendan McGrath
NIPEC Senior
Professional
Officer s
NIPEC Professional
Officer & Project
Lead &
Trust ADNs
Trust ADNs &
Project Officers
Subgroup 1
Subgroup 2
Subgroup 3
Moira Logan
(Ward Managers
all Trusts & areas
of practice)
Olivia McManus
(Ward Managers
all Trusts & areas
of practice)
Michelle
McCartan
(Ward Managers
all Trusts & areas
of practice)
Trust Project Officers
Trust Reference Groups
Leading Care: Ward Sister/Charge Nurse Regional
Project
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Project Outputs – 3 Work streams
Agree
Role
Title
Generic
Job
Description
Competency
Profile
KSF
Post
Outline
Induction
to role
and CPD
• Consultation via Trust Stakeholder Groups
Succession
Planning
Pathway
The Way Forward…
• Leading Care: Consultation feedback and Recommendations
• Options available to Trusts
• Investment to enable 20% Release of Time
• Regional development opportunities
• Local development activities
• Resources available to support this programme of work