Over 100 nursing, midwifery and healthcare support worker staff were part of a conference exploring best practice in the professions.
Hosted by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW), the conference gave the opportunity to learn, share clinical knowledge and expertise, and celebrate innovations in practice. Staff came together to hear from expert speakers and join discussions around the event’s theme of compassion and kindness.
The Trust’s Chief Nurse, Jo Haworth, opened the conference by sharing MTW’s focus on creating and sustaining a workforce who are skilled, kind and proud, setting out six new strategic aims to achieve this.
She introduced keynote speaker, Professor Michael West, who spoke of the importance of compassionate leadership in healthcare and the role it plays in positive patient outcomes and experiences. He highlighted the importance of listening with fascination, understanding, empathising and helping, when it comes to both our staff and our patients.
Panel discussions chaired by Deputy Chief Nurse for Quality and Patient Experience, Richard Gatune, centred on the impact of kindness and compassion when caring for patients, and reflected on kindness and compassion in healthcare. Panellists included:
- Jeni Caguioa, International Recruitment and Ethnic Minorities Nurse Advisor for NHS England
- Charlotte Gibson, Consultant Midwife
- Amanda Mansfield FRCM MBE, Fellow of the Royal College of Midwives and recipient of the Chief Midwifery Officer Gold Award.
- Zoe Parsons, undergraduate Adult Nursing student
- Professor Emma Wadey PhD RN MH, Deputy Director Mental Health Nursing for NHS England
- Geraldine Walters CBE PhD MBA RN, now retired but was Director of Professional Practice at the Nursing and Midwifery Council and honorary professor at Buckinghamshire New University and Nightingale Institute at Kings College London.
- Mr Denny, patient representative
The conference included a market place, where teams from around the Trust were invited to showcase what they do to attendees and speakers. Areas who presented their work included the Intensive Care Unit, the Pain team, our specialist midwives for young parents, theatre nurses, the Endocrine team, Oncology, the Midwifery Safeguarding team and the ophthalmology nurse injectors to name just a few.
Miles Scott, Chief Executive, gave a closing address emphasising the need for colleagues to act as role models for kindness and compassion, tasking delegates to elevate the nursing and midwifery focus through education, learning and development.
The conference will become an annual event and planning to make next year’s event even bigger and better is already underway.