Christina Bannister
SCTS Nursing Representative
2012-2017
Profile
I would like to begin by thanking Tara Bartley for all the hard work, effort and
leadership she has put into the role of Nursing Representative over the past six
years. She has been an inspiration to all Nurses and Allied Health Professionals
within the realm of cardiothoracic surgery, and I look forward to working with her in
promoting excellence in training and quality of care within this area.
To introduce myself, I have been working within the area of Cardiac Surgery and
Cardiology for the past 19 years, after completing my training at University of Wales
College of Medicine in Cardiff. Post qualification, I specialised in Cardiac Nursing
and have worked previously at both St George’s Hospital and St’ Thomas Hospital in
London. I have worked on Cardiac Surgery and Cardiology wards, and have cared
for patients’ both pre and post cardiac transplantation. During my career I have
completed an ENB Cardiac Nursing Course and ENB General Principles of
Transplantation Course; I have also obtained an MSc in Cardiology at the University
of Brighton, and recently became an Independent Nurse Prescriber, following a
Masters Course at the University of Southampton.
Currently I work at Southampton General Hospital where I set up the post of Cardiac
Surgery Nurse Case Manager, a role which encompasses theatre co-ordination, list
planning for a specified caseload, one-stop pre-assessment clinics for all cardiac
surgical patients and includes an element of consultant based clinical ward work;
alongside the Cardiac Surgery Advanced Nurse Practitioners.
During this role I have been a member of both the Pan-Dorset Cardiac Surgery &
Inter-Hospitals Sub-Group for Dorset Cardiac and Stroke Network and the South
Central Cardiovascular Network Cardiac Surgery Project Group. I have developed
outreach one-stop pre-assessment clinics at Royal Bournemouth Hospital and
Frimley Park Hospital, and at Southampton I am the co-ordinator for the Cardiac
Multi-disciplinary Team Meeting.
Through my time of office as Nursing Representative I plan to increase the profile of
both Nurses and Allied Health Professionals within the Society, by sitting on the
Executive Committee and as a member of the Education Sub-Committee. As part of
this role we have had discussions with the President of ACSA (Association of
Cardiothoracic Surgical Assistants) and are keen to forge stronger alliances between
the SCTS and ACSA with support for education and skills. I hope to continue the
work surrounding collaborative ways of working and enhance the role of the
Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Specialist Nurses, whilst promoting the skills and
knowledge of the Nurses and Allied Health Professionals within wards, intensive
care, theatre, outpatient departments and any other areas where Cardiothoracic care
is provided.
I hope to continue the excellent Cardiothoracic Forum at the Annual SCTS Meeting,
with an aim to develop this further to enhance the research, training and
development of all participants.
My main aim for the next few years is to promote the role of the SCTS to all Nurses
and Allied Health Professionals working within the area of Cardiothoracics
throughout the UK & Ireland, to enhance networking opportunities and promote skills
and learning. At the Annual Meeting in Brighton this March I have launched the
SCTS CT Forum Nurses and Allied Health Professionals Facebook and Twitter
pages. I hope to encourage as many people as possible to join to make
Cardiothoracics the prime speciality to lead Nursing and Allied Health Professionals
into the future. By creating an environment for enhanced communication utilising
social media and developing the Nursing and Allied Health Professional pages within
the SCTS website, development and innovation can thrive making our speciality the
best it can be.
I look forward to the next few years as Nursing Representative and encourage all of
you to join with me to ensure the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery is the lead for
Cardiothoracic Nurses and Allied Health Professionals. If you have any comments,
enquiries, suggestions or issues related to Cardiothoracic Nursing please contact me
at my e-mail address:chrissiebannister71@gmail.com or Christina.Bannister@uhs.nhs.uk