Trust creates the "next generation" of Florence Nightingales

Guy’s and St Thomas’ has launched a new nursing and midwifery strategy, and a new professional award in recognition of its outstanding nurses and midwives.

Announced on International Nurses’ Day (Friday 12 May), the new nursing strategy sets an ambitious target to have a waiting list of nurses and midwives who want to work at the Trust by 2020.

Nurses and midwives will be referred to as the ‘Next Generation Nightingales’ in honour of the pioneering nurse Florence Nightingale, who established her nursing school at St Thomas’ Hospital in 1859.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ has also launched a new professional award unique to the Trust called ‘The Nightingale Nurse Award’. This award recognises the most outstanding nurses who are the ultimate role models.

Dame Eileen Sills, Chief Nurse at Guy’s and St Thomas’, said: “Our nurses and midwives strive to provide the best possible care to our patients 24/7. In recognition of their contribution to our Trust, and the need to bring absolute pride back into the profession, we have launched ‘Next Generation Nightingales’.

"I want this Trust to be known for developing some of the best nurses and midwives in the country. In the past the Nightingale Nurse has had a national and international reputation – we want to bring this back.”

The award includes the completion of a work based learning module, fully funded at either level 6 or 7, and will give staff the opportunity to start or complete their masters programme. Importantly, on completion they will be honoured with the title of being a ‘Nightingale Nurse’. The Trust expects to enrol the first 100 in September 2017 and make the first awards in March 2018.

This work builds on the Nightingale Programme which was launched last year at the Trust to improve the consistency of care provided across inpatient areas through the standardisation of some aspects of the shift, the first and last hour of the shift, and the mid-shift huddle. In total, 1,053 nursing staff have been trained through a day’s simulation over a six-month period.

As part of International Nurses’ Day on Friday 12 May, Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrated the outstanding work of all its nurses and midwives with a range of events including guided tours of artwork in St Thomas’ Hospital, commemorating how the role of nurses has changed throughout the 20^th century, and the return of the Trust’s Nursing and Midwifery Awards, with winners announced on the day.

Carol McCoskery, Head of Nursing for the Trust cardiovascular service, won the inaugural Dame Eileen Sills Award at the Nursing and Midwifery awards said “I had no idea I would win this award, and it’s an honour to be recognised in this way. Although I get the recognition and the award, there’s no way I could have done it without my colleagues across the Trust and cardiovascular unit. This really was a team effort”

The full list of award winners at the 2017 Trust Nursing and Midwifery Awards is as follows:

• Dame Eileen Sills Award: Carol McCoskery, Head of Nursing for the Cardiovascular Service
• Senior Leadership Award: Marielle Perraut, Sexual Health and HIV team
• Dental Nurse of the Year: Orsolya Karpati, Sedation and Special Care Unit
• Midwife of the Year: Geraldine Joyce, Maternity Unit
• Specialist Nurse of the Year: Cris Roxas, Trust Asthma Service
• Team of the Year: Admission Ward Staff at St Thomas'
• Sister Nurse of the Year: Irina Anasteasecu, Guy's Hospital
• Staff Nurse of the Year: Ziah Sodje, Townley Road Community Unit  
• Assistant Support Staff of the Year: Patricia Taylor, Children's Allergy Service

In addition, many nurses with a head for heights, including the Chief Nurse and her team, abseiled 160 feet down the side of St Thomas’ Hospital to raise money for the Trust as part of a fundraising challenge.