Compton Care Nurse Associate Jodie Webb
We round up the latest appointments in the hospice sector.
Mary Stevens Hospice appoints Claire Towns as new CEO
Claire Towns has been named as the new chief executive of Mary Stevens Hospice in Stourbridge.
Claire qualified as a nurse in 1995 and joined the hospice as a Senior Staff Nurse in 2004. Since then her roles have included Practice Development Nurse, Ward Manager and Head of Nursing. Claire gained a BSc Hons in Palliative Care in 2011 and broadened her studies further to become an Independent Nurse prescriber in 2013. She was also appointed Hospice Matron in October 2014, and is the Registered Manager.
Commenting on Twitter, she said: “I look forward to continue working alongside the hospice team and community partners in delivering outstanding palliative care.”
Compton Care appoints first ever Nursing Associates
Former healthcare assistants Hayley Webber-Waterfield and Jodie Webb recently completed a two-year foundation degree to become Compton Care’s very first nursing associates.
They are now able to support the Wolverhampton charity’s nursing team on its inpatient unit by carrying out a range of nursing tasks including administration of medication and wound care, and supporting other student healthcare professionals.
Nursing associates work as part of the wider nursing team between healthcare assistants and registered nurses. Training includes a mixture of hands-on experience in the workplace, supported by learning in the classroom. At the end of the course, trainees have a foundation degree, and once registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, they become fully registered nursing associates and can work in a number of different health and care settings. The role also provides a progression route into graduate-level nursing.
Hayley said: “I wanted to combine my compassion for others, experience, knowledge and education into a role where I could bring quality care to patients and their loved ones.
“The apprenticeship has highlighted nursing care is not just about having clinical skills but also about holding good communication skills to be an effective team member as well as an advocate for patients and their loved ones, making sure they are always heard and remain the very centre of our care.”
Jodie added: “I have always wanted to be a nurse and this opportunity has enabled me to learn new skills and come one step closer to the next stage in my career. Being a nurse associate at Compton Care and the support that I have received from everyone working on our In-patient unit and also within other departments has given me new confidence and knowledge. I work with an amazing team and coming to work each day to provide care for patients here at Compton Care is a pleasure.”
*This article has been amended with the title ‘nursing associates’. An earlier version contained the title ‘nurse associates’ which Compton Care had used in their communications with us by mistake.
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