Chief Nursing Officer prioritises the health and wellbeing of the nursing and midwifery professions across Wales

Chief Nursing Officer for Wales (CNO), Sue Tranka, commences her third year in post and recognises the importance in supporting efforts to enhance the wellbeing of the professions through physical, emotional, work-life balance and fostering a supportive workplace culture.

Speaking at the annual Chief Nursing Officer for Wales Conference, Sue said:

Growing the workforce, investing in, and developing nurse and midwifery leaders at every level through formal and informal leadership programmes, was one of the priorities last year, to enable strong and effective leadership, and to consistently deliver high levels of care.

We have to spot our talented workforce early on and develop successive leaders to champion change.

I’m proud that we have supported more than 100 international nurses through a leadership programme so that they can meet the challenges of leading modern workforces and health systems.

This is in addition to development opportunities that span the range of emerging, aspiring, and established leaders.

There are proven methods for creating a positive work environment that creates these conditions and ensures the commitment to deliver high-quality care to patients, even in stressful times.

Leadership programmes are important. They provide opportunities for nurses and midwives to enhance their leadership skills and confidence through a supportive learning space, advice from mentors, and individual leadership development plans so that they can influence and improve health and care services at local, national and international levels.

In thanking the nursing and midwifery workforce for helping to deliver and implement the priorities, the CNO added:

I have been witness to the unique contributions made by our teams across Wales, some of which are from our leadership scholars, whether through Welsh, UK or global programmes. You have taken up the mantle, embracing the responsibility to push boundaries, to break barriers and ceilings, to question established norms and to seek out to innovate solutions to address the challenges we face, here in Wales.

The winners of the CNO Excellence Awards were also announced and celebrated for their exceptional contributions to the nursing workforce, inspiring others, and for making a real difference to people’s lives. The awards were presented to:

·        Siji Salimkutty, Advancer Nurse Practitioner, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

·        Catherine Lowery, Registered Mental Health Nurse and Dementia Liaison Nurse, Cwm Taf University Health Board

·        Sandra Miles, Professional Practice Development Lead Nurse, Hywel Dda University Health Board

·        Ceri Heard and Jane Dixon, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Palliative Care Nursing Team, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board

Leadership scholar, and Lead Cancer Nurse for Cardiff and Vale UHB, Annette Beasley said:

What a life changing experience! Completing a Digital Leadership Scholarship has had such a positive impact on my personal and professional life.  The scholarship has strengthened my personal presence and impact which empowers me to secure my nursing seat at the table! I will be forever grateful to Welsh Government for enabling me to undertake this awesome leadership development opportunity.