Leadership Resources

Nurses and nursing leaders continue to be overwhelmed by increasing challenges as the call to demonstrate higher levels of resilience gains momentum. And yet nurses continue to be faced with unparalleled levels of adversity, leading to a loss of hope, with many choosing to leave the profession rather than continue to be exposed to unyielding levels of stress that have the potential to threaten the survival of the profession itself. With this in mind, this paper focuses on the importance of nurses working collaboratively through the process of coaching, a construct gaining momentum as the profession seeks to expand and facilitate new ways of working in order to develop both current and future nursing leaders and, in so doing, not only strengthen the voice of nursing, but also improve the way in which nurses practice.

There have been many renowned leaders throughout history. Alexander the Great. Cleopatra. Winston Churchill. Liz Truss… OK, maybe the last one is a bit of a stretch, but many civilizations have been defined by a single inspirational leader who was able to bend circumstances to their will. 

The first piece of this two-part series explored the context for leadership in general practice nursing, our role as leaders, and perceived barriers to nurses fully utilising their leadership potential in the general practice setting. Here, Jaqui Walker, general practice nurse/advanced nurse practitioner (GPN/ANP), Falkirk, explores why we should lead, who can lead, leadership styles and behaviours for ANP/GPNs, and how to develop leaders. Written from the political setting of Scotland, this article is applicable to nurses across the four nations of the UK and suggests, as part of our leadership skills, we should all make ourselves aware of the context within which we work.

Being awarded the Queen’s Nurse title is a great honour and one I would not have received if I had given up general practice nursing three and a half years ago.

We have to remember that life is a journey and not a destination, which is why I think I was ready to give up and have a change of career. A chance meeting with an army reservist at our annual CPR update changed the course of my nursing journey, but not where I thought I would end up.

In this first of a two-part series exploring leadership in general practice, Jaqui Walker, general practice nurse/advanced nurse practitioner, Falkirk, Scotland, looks at the context for leadership in general practice nursing, our role as leaders, and perceived barriers to nurses fully utilising their leadership potential in the general practice setting. Part two will explore why we should lead, who can lead, leadership styles and behaviours for ANP/GPNs and how to develop leaders.

Quality improvement is a necessary exercise for any developing organisation. With the changes currently taking place in the NHS, particularly the relocation of services from secondary care to primary care, it is vital that general practice nurses (GPNs) are able to review and make improvements to their practice. This article reviews the policies that are changing the landscape of primary care, examines the benefits of quality improvement initiatives and provides an exemplar of an effective quality improvement training programme. The author argues that the NHS cannot meet the healthcare needs of the population without a sustained and comprehensive commitment to effective quality improvement as its principal strategy.

The ‘General Practice Nursing – Leadership for Quality’ (GPNLQ) programme was developed by Judi Thorley and Sally Rogers (both chief nurses and directors of quality and safeguarding at NHS South Cheshire and NHS Vale Royal clinical commissioning groups [CCGs] and NHS Eastern Cheshire CCG respectively), after local discussions within their CCGs around the need for further support and learning opportunities for general practice nurses (GPNs).

They felt that GPNs were unintentionally professionally isolated, and had to work in a climate that did not support personal development, with some GPNs not being released for clinical training, let alone training for personal development in an area as ‘non-clinical’ as leadership.

Judi and Sally invested a significant amount of their own time in scoping out the programme, planning and, indeed, delivering the training. They also networked assiduously and gained the support of key individuals promoting the role of GPNs on the national stage.