Graduates from the Mary Seacole leadership programme delivered by the Florence Nightingale Foundation recently gathered to share their achievements and the impact of the 9-month leadership journey.
Participants on the programme are all working to improving health inequalities, particularly in Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority communities. The programme also celebrates the life and impact of nursing legend Mary Seacole, while underpinning the values by which she lived and worked.
Now the third such celebratory graduation, this NHS England funded programme has a much longer legacy of 30 years. Originally developed by the Department of Health we were delighted to have participation at the event, and ongoing support, from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), Unite and Unison.
A key theme throughout the day was that nurses are a global community: nursing is an international language.
We heard first-hand from several of the participants about the Quality Improvement project they completed as part of the programme. From working to increase the number of local transplant assessment referrals and raising awareness of living donation within ethnic minorities, to improving patient access to interpreting services, Participants shared the impact their projects have had on addressing health inequalities within their teams or in their communities.
Gloria Tucker reported: “The baseline survey for my project on improving access to interpreting services showed only a small portion of staff were aware of the new service. This results in delays accessing the services which could lead to communication difficulties and consequently lower quality of care and result in poor outcomes for patients. The follow-up survey report showed a notable 24% increase in staff awareness after the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle. This is a small step to improving access to this service which is crucial in facilitating access to healthcare for people that English isn’t their first language. Capturing the patients’ voice will be a central focus in the next phase of the project.”
Many of the participants spoke passionately about the support they received from their programme mentor, as well as the benefit they received from connecting with others throughout the course.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of the programme has been the professional relationship I established with my mentor. She has been a source of inspiration, providing coaching, encouragement, and support not only for the project but also in my professional life. Her exceptional guidance has been invaluable.”
Joan Myers, Mary Seacole Trust Ambassador and FNF scholar, provided inspiring input to the event, based on her own leadership journey.
She said later: “It is wonderful to hear how these nurses are embracing the values of Mary Seacole – recognising a gap in the system and stepping in to provide what is needed to improve the patient/client experience in their services.”
Dawn Hill, Mary Seacole Trust President, congratulated each of the delegates and gave each a coveted Mary Seacole badge, alongside a FNF alumni badge, presented by Natasha North, FNF’s Director of Academy.
Natasha said. “It was a privilege to meet with the alumni from the Mary Seacole leadership programme and to hear their leadership journey stories and the impact they are having. FNF’s partnerships with the Mary Seacole Trust and NHS England, as well as our ongoing collaboration with the unions, are really important to us. It is by working together that we can make the biggest difference to our professions and to health and care more broadly.”
Michael Louise Cervantes said: “Through this programme, I’ve gained insights into strategic thinking and inclusive leadership. I’ve also learned the importance of self-awareness and resilience. More importantly, I realised that the programme was never meant to change me, but it was designed to remind me of my uniqueness to help surface the best qualities in me as a leader. So moving forward, I am committed to being a leader who champions equity and fosters collaboration.”
Participants will go on to inspire future generations of nurses and midwives by sharing the learning from their quality improvement projects and the broader leadership development learning.
Trevor Sterling, Chair of the Mary Seacole Trust said: “I have no doubt that Mary Seacole would have been proud that so many years after she made her contribution to healthcare, these nurses are demonstrating crucial leadership and doing everything possible to improve lives. This is what Mary Seacole’s legacy is all about. It was a privilege to hear how the leadership development programme is creating 21st century leaders.”
The next Mary Seacole Leadership development programme is open for applications until 18 May. Find out more: https://florence-nightingale-foundation.org.uk/programmes/mary-seacole-leadership-programme/
