Two nurses from Glendon Hospital have completed a four-week clinical observership at the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) in England, describing the experience as transformative and expressing hope that the partnership will continue for years to come.
Hospital Nursing Manager Brenda Daley and Staff Nurse/Midwife Jeanette Lee participated in the placement through a managed education partnership with NHS England. During the experience, they worked alongside NHS teams while observing best practices in leadership, operating theatre services, maternity care, infection prevention and control, and digital healthcare.
Reflecting on the programme, Daley said the opportunity was “one that could not be missed.”
“The observership programme was such a valuable opportunity for Jeanette and I,” she said, praising Senior Clinical Educator Rosie Bevan and Theatre Clinical Educator Zoe Matthewman for designing “a well thought out programme tailored to our every need.”
Over the four weeks, the nurses explored topics centred on CHFT’s nursing ambitions, including Leadership in Every Seat, Lifelong Learning, Professionalism, Inclusivity and Civility, and Models of Care.
Daley said one of the strongest impressions was the Trust’s culture.
“The Trust’s core value of One Culture of Care was very evident on our first day of our arrival. We felt the warmth and the love shared by everyone we met,” she said. “We not only felt that Culture of Care, we saw it in action in the way staff were cared for by their supervisors, especially evident during the heat wave.”
Among the highlights were observing robotic and laparoscopic surgery, experiencing digital systems that support patient care and clinical decision-making, visiting the Calderdale Birthing Centre’s birth pool, participating in infection prevention and fire safety training, learning about sepsis management, staff wellbeing, succession planning and human factors, and attending senior leadership meetings and the Trust’s annual awards ceremony.
The pair also spent two days with CHFT’s Infection Prevention and Control team, an experience Daley said underscored opportunities for improvement at Glendon Hospital.
“Spending two days with Matron Belinda Russell and her Infection Prevention and Control Team made us realise a lot more needs to be done within our hospital,” she said. “Nurse Lee believes this is a path in nursing she would like to pursue and be a part of within our hospital.”
Daley expressed optimism about the future of the collaboration.
“My thoughts are that Montserrat and CHFT’s partnership will be lifelong. There is so much to learn,” she said. “All in all, an amazing programme. Thank you and well done CHFT.”
Rosie Bevan, Senior Clinical Educator at CHFT, said the Trust had enjoyed hosting the two nurses.
“We’ve loved having Brenda and Jeanette as part of our teams and they have thrown themselves into every experience,” Bevan said.
She noted one unexpected connection during the visit when Emergency Department Consultant Andy Lockey met the nurses and reminisced about completing his medical elective in Montserrat in 1990.
“Andy even had a plaque of the country on his wall which is a souvenir from his visit all those years ago,” she said.
Bevan also praised the enthusiasm of staff across the Trust in sharing their expertise.
“I’m proud of how every department was so keen to help and welcome the observers and share best practice. We will miss them.”
The placement forms part of an ongoing education partnership between Glendon Hospital and Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, aimed at strengthening clinical skills, leadership development and the exchange of best practices between healthcare professionals in Montserrat and the United Kingdom.
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