Celebrating our Nursing Heroes
12th May 2017
Today, which would have been Florence Nightingale's 197th birthday, is Nurses' Day; a day which celebrates the great work of nursing staff around the world.
While we join in the celebrations at the office with a cake sale (proceeds of which go to the RCN Foundation), we thought we'd take this opportunity to shine the light on some of our members of staff who decided to pursue a career in nursing.
Carole Williams - Director of Nursing
From the day Carole put on a nurses uniform from under the Christmas Tree, she was hooked on the idea of a career in nursing - although she does confess to being drawn to wearing the upside down watch fob! At 17, Carole studied for the Orthopaedic Nursing Certificate before starting State Registered Nurse training. Since then she has been involved in primary and community services and has said she has found working in people's home with their families and pets to be a complete privilege ("very sad and very funny in equal measures"). Nurse training teaches nurses to question, but you also have to listen too, especially to patients and their families.
Edith Cavell is Carole's #nursehero. Edith has a memorial statue opposite Admiral Lord Nelson in Trafalgar Square and The Cavell Nurses Trust was founded in her memory to assist nurses and healthcare workers in difficulty. Ms Cavell was a British nurse working in Belgium in the first world war; tried for treason and found guilty, she was shot by a German firing squad in 1915. She founded modern nursing in Belgium and is celebrated for nurses and saving the lives of soldiers on both sides without discrimination.
Jason Darby - Deputy Nurse Practitioner Lead
Working life for Jason started in the kitchens of a nursing home, where he was encouraged to become a care assistant before becoming a Health Care Assistant at the local hospital. There he decided he'd actually like to become a trained nurse.
Not having the required qualifications, he attended college for a year doing an access to nursing course which would enable him to start the training to become a nurse. All went according to plan and he got a place at the University of the West of England and a development role at Swindon Walk In Centre where he was supported to undertake his Emergency Nurse Practitioner training and non medical prescribing to become a Nurse Practitioner.
Jason qualified in 2003 and feels that these days there is a great opportunity for nurses to develop and take on new and more challenging roles. Although the job can be demanding, he is currently enjoying developing his career further into a management role at Medvivo and the responsibility that comes with that. He hasn't stopped studying either, as he is now undertaking the Pathophysiology and Diagnostic Reasoning for Advanced Practice course as well as a leadership in management course!
To his younger self, his advice would be:
"Never feel you can't do or achieve something. If you have the right attitude you can achieve what you want."
Alison Hale - Nurse Practitioner
Alison Always wanted to be a nurse. Qualified in 1986 at Bath School of Nursing, she went on to University in 2007 to do a Nurse Practitioner degree. Since her first job as a Staff Nurse on a female ward at Melksham Community Hospital, she has since marked changes in the role. Training has gone from mainly "on the job" to more academic. Nurses have a lot more responsibility now and are allowed to have minds of their own, and question things more.
The variety of the role is something Alison enjoys but if she could change one thing about healthcare, it would be to help patients help themselves more, enable them to take more responsibility.
Lorraine Facey - Nurse Practitioner
Back in 1973, there was a district nurse who rode around the Dales on a motorbike. She had a trench coat and blue hat with a badge. She knew everyone in the area, probably delivered most of them, and had incredible power - if she caught anyone skipping school, she would let the parents know. Although you might be scared of her, you knew she was always there and would look after you when needed, sometimes doing the same for the cows when the vet was unavailable.
This nurse was Lorraine's inspiration for pursuing a career in nursing and as soon as she was able to she attended York School of Nursing, then Glamorgan University to convert to Nurse Practitioner, and then the University of the West of England for Emergency Nurse Practitioner (ENP) training and ongoing continuing professional development courses.
Over the years the profession has changed, it has become more dynamic, progressive and academic. In turn it has made the role more stressful with increased accountability. Being able to make a difference and improve patient outcomes is incredibly rewarding. It is challenging at times, especially to find the time study and meet peoples' needs and manage their expectations with reducing resources.
While the childhood District Nurse may have inspired Lorraine's career choice, her #nursehero is Nelly Tilsley. Nelly was not only a nurse during the war who worked with wounded service men at a field hospital, she was also Lorraine's kind, compassion and yet fierce grandmother!
Mandy Mansell - Responder
Despite working in the Response Team, Mandy is still a registered nurse and qualified at Luton and Dunstable Hospital Training School. Mandy got the nursing bug at the age of just 7 years old thanks to the TV programmes Angels and Mash.
As a nurse, Mandy loves the variety of the role of having no two days ever being the same and being able to not just help patients, but also their families. Of course there are challenges, especially when in more recent years it appears you have less quality time with patients and spend more time doing paperwork!
One of Mandy's biggest challenges was working in a hospice, where in one particular month, they had to deal with 13 deaths, from young to old. Out of these challenging times can come some inspirational moments. In one such case, Mandy was touched by the strength of one family who always looked on the positive side and never gave up til the end. The patient was 32 year old young man who suffered from multiple sclerosis. He had a wife and 3 young children who visited every day. He loved sitting in the sun and was the spitting image of Suggs from Madness with his sunglasses and trilby hat!
Advice to her younger self would be:
"There will be laughter, tears and frustrations; but stick in there, it is worth it in the end."
Well done to all nursing staff everywhere for everything you do to be the heroes you are in our healthcare system.
By Richard Bowyer, Nurse Practitioner Lead
Other News
-
Our Spring issue contents latest news and updates, including: An introduction to the Mobile Care service The TSA Quality Standards Framework Meet members of the Mobile Care team Risk...
15th Apr 2022 -
Season's greetings from the Medvivo team with an end of year round up of latest news and updates, including: An introduction to the High Intensity User (HIU) Service Meet the HIU Team...
24th Dec 2021 -
The NHS continues to deal with immense pressures on the health system across the country. From the seasonal issues that come with winter to the ongoing fight with the latest coronavirus variant...
22nd Dec 2021 -
Catch up with the latest news and updates from Medvivo, including: COVID Oximetry at home and Virtual Wards Meet a Clinical Responder Ask Medvivo Let's Keep Life Moving Compliments...
09th Sep 2021 -
Medvivo wins two highly commended awards at the global Interact Excellence Awards 2021. We are delighted to announce we have been recognised in both the Best Offline Worker Strategy and Best...
20th Jul 2021 -
Remote monitoring services to improve patient care during COVID-19. Since November 2020, Medvivo has been working with stakeholders across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire...
01st Apr 2021 -
A new clinical leadership role to support our growing team of clinicians. Medvivo continues to rapidly expand with new staff coming into the organisation as new clinical roles are introduced...
31st Mar 2021 -
The latest newsletter includes: Video consultation service Meet the Medical Director COVID Oximetry at Home Remote Monitoring Service Think 111 First Wellbeing Tips for Winter Recognition...
17th Dec 2020 -
The NHS is changing how people access urgent and emergency care across the country. They are making it easier and safer for patients to get the right treatment at the right time and aiming...
04th Dec 2020 -
Today, Wednesday 14th October 2020, is the third annual Allied Healthcare Professionals (AHPs) Day. As mainly degree level professions, AHPs are professionally autonomous practitioners. 13...
14th Oct 2020 -
We are delighted to share the first issue of our new quarterly patient-focused newsletter. Please do read and share with your friends and family. If you have any feedback or suggestions for...
18th Sep 2020 -
Virtual service user group set up to help influence and improve service user experience. Recognising the value of working with its service users, Medvivo has created a platform to encourage...
19th Jun 2020 -
Medvivo Group receives National Happiest Workplace Award following investment in staff professional and personal wellbeing. Medvivo runs the Integrated Urgent Care (IUC) contract for Swindon...
29th Nov 2019 -
Clinical Education Event - a free event for clinical staff at BMI The Ridgeway Hospital, Wroughton. Tuesday 19th November18:45 - 21:00 We are delighted to welcome two guest speakers from...
22nd Oct 2019 -
Organised with BMI Healthcare, we are delighted to have Dr Emma Frampton, Medical Director at Dorothy House, as our guest speaker, and one of their specialist nurses. Tuesday 1st October19:...
20th Sep 2019 -
The Care Quality Commission has rated the quality of care being provided by Medvivo as Outstanding following a comprehensive inspection in January this year. This is a fantastic achievement...
16th Apr 2019 -
Clinician’s Education EventWednesday 27th February12:00 - 16:00 Hathaway Medical Centre,Middlefield Road, Chippenham SN14 6GT Our line up of speakers covers a range of areas and is now...
28th Jan 2019 -
Staff support new initiative with donations to help service users enjoy the festive season. Our Response Team is often called to people who have little or no food in the cupboard and no family...
04th Jan 2019 -
NEWS training helps responders identify acutely ill patients, particularly those who may be deteriorating and need urgent clinical attention. The Allied Health Science Network (AHSN) has been...
26th Nov 2018 -
It is pancreatic cancer awareness month. To support the campaign, we have been sharing information with staff during the month with one member of staff sharing her own personal experience of...
23rd Nov 2018 -
Urgent Care in Bath and North East Somerset 11 December 20187pm-8pmMidford House, St Martins Hospital BA2 5RP Who should attend? GPs who do not currently work for BEMS at the Bath...
12th Nov 2018 -
Looking after our mental health is just as important as our physical health. If you were to get injured or fall at work, a First Aider would be called upon to help you. In a similar way, when...
10th Oct 2018 -
Clinicians talked about surgical issues experienced in their in and out of hours roles. The latest in a series of Clinician Education events that we co-host with BMI Healthcare featured a symposium...
17th Sep 2018 -
From Complication to Calamity Managing post-operative patients in the community Date: Thursday 13th September 2018Time: 18:45 - 21:00Location: Medvivo, Fox Talbot House, Unit 4 Greenways Business...
01st Aug 2018 -
On Wednesday 16th May Medvivo hosted its third education event entitled ‘Management of Urgent Gynaecology Problems in Primary Care’. This is a series of events which are co-hosted...
16th May 2018 -
This year has been one of the best (and busiest) in Medvivo’s history. Here’s a look back at our top ten news stories from 2017. 1. An outstanding CQC inspection Back in...
27th Dec 2017 -
As part of our rewards and recognition programme, staff are encouraged to nominate their peers for a Star Award to recognise when they have gone the “extra mile”. There are many...
22nd Dec 2017 -
BMI Healthcare and Medvivo invited GPs and NPs from across the region to join them for the first in a new series of GP Education Events. Medvivo was delighted to welcome Mr Allaaeldin...
20th Dec 2017 -
Managing Knee Pain and Knee Injuries in General Practice Date: Monday 5th March 2018 Time: 18.45 - 21.00Location: Medvivo, Fox Talbot House Unit 4, Greenways Business Park, Chippenham...
10th Jan 2018 -
It’s Migraine Awareness Week this week and despite 8 million migraine sufferers in the UK, awareness of the condition remains low. Migraine is a complex condition with a variety of symptoms...
06th Sep 2017 -
The work of our mobile carers is vital when it comes to providing help at home, whether that’s for care, support or reassurance at all times of the day or night. We have a team of carers...
22nd Aug 2017 -
As a health and care services provider, we are delighted to announce that Medvivo is boosting its clinical technology offering through the acquisition of Expert 24, a global developer of customised...
01st Jun 2017 -
As a provider of health and care services in the community, we ensure our staff are regularly trained so they are equipped and able to cope with patients or service users, whatever condition...
19th May 2017 -
Medvivo has been building a reputation for delivering a range of high quality and person-centred care services since 2004. The Telecare Alarm Monitoring Service is a growing part of that business...
12th May 2017 -
Today, which would have been Florence Nightingale's 197th birthday, is Nurses' Day; a day which celebrates the great work of nursing staff around the world. While we join in the celebrations...
12th May 2017 -
Medvivo provides Wiltshire’s GP Out of Hours service as well as a range of other health and care services. The main office is based in Chippenham, with services being operated from bases...
08th May 2017 -
With a vision to achieve excellence in the delivery of care through the provision of person-centred health and care services, as an employer we are equally committed to providing a healthy and...
05th May 2017 -
Medvivo, the organisation which provides Wiltshire’s GP Out of Hours service as well as a range of other health and care services, has been rated “Outstanding” by the Care...
21st Apr 2017 -
Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a form of sexual abuse that involves the manipulation and/or coercion of young people under the age of 18 into sexual activity. The National Child Sexual...
16th Mar 2017 -
Today is No Smoking Day and marks the start of our latest internal health and wellbeing campaign which focuses on smoking awareness. No Smoking Day has been around since 1983, when it...
08th Mar 2017 -
We are proud to support the "#hellomynameis" campaign and our staff wear their badges to serve as a reminder to introduce themselves whenever they come into contact with patients and service...
24th Jan 2017 -
Last week we launched our new Mobile Telecare service at an event hosted in our Medvivo Careline office in Dorchester. It was an invitation-only event for organisations and partnerships in the...
06th Dec 2016 -
Mobile telecare gives everyone the confidence to live how they want without feeling confined to their own home. Telecare, sometimes known as lifeline or pendant alarms, is a...
30th Nov 2016 -
It’s the time of year when, if you haven’t already had it, you should be thinking about getting the annual flu vaccination. It is just one of the ways to make sure we stay well during...
30th Nov 2016 -
The Mobile Carers at Medvivo are a team of highly trained social care responders who visit customers or service users in the home. Following a call into our Telecare Alarm Monitoring Centre...
02nd Dec 2016 -
Tomorrow is the start of the annual leading Technology Enabled Care (TEC) and digital health sector event. We will be there on stand 21 to showcase our services and look forward to finding out...
17th Oct 2016 -
After retiring from the police force, I was looking for a part time job that was locally based and would help top up my pension. I’d previously worked for Wiltshire Medical Services so...
14th Oct 2016 -
When you start a new job, it can be a daunting prospect to get to know the business and the services it provides. At Medvivo, we pride ourselves on making new members of staff feel as welcome...
13th Oct 2016
Your login details have been used by another user or machine. Login details can only be used once at any one time so you have therefore automatically been logged out. Please contact your sites administrator if you believe this other user or machine has unauthorised access.