Over the past year, we have experienced one of the most challenging years the UK healthcare sector has ever faced. For carers and nurses working around the clock to care for patients with Covid-19 symptoms, they have faced sleepless nights and exhausting shifts. Superior Healthcare wants to ensure our team members are supported, which is why the company has expanded its Nurse Manager team. Through job creation, ongoing training and a strong support system, Superior Healthcare is ready to change the lives of our team and the people depending on our care for the better. Adele Blythe, our Clinical Operations Manager, explains what we’re doing to support Superior Healthcare’s team of carers and nurses and how it’s already made a difference.
Having a team of Nurse Managers can make all the difference when it comes to the work we do. As well as providing support, bringing a wealth of experience and using their clinical expertise in a complex care environment, Nurse Managers oversee their care teams to ensure that excellent levels of care and commitment are delivered to our clients and their families.
We decided to expand our existing line-up of Nurse Managers and enrolled the new team members in October of last year, which allowed us to divide our services into adult and paediatric divisions. Ultimately, this means a reduced caseload for team members and increased time spent with clients.
What responsibilities do our Nurse Managers have?
When it comes to the responsibilities assigned to our new Nurse Managers, it’s fair to say there’s a lot of client-facing duties involved. When we are awarded a new package, the local Nurse Manager with the relevant expertise will set aside time to meet and get to know the client and their family, carry out a care needs assessment, prepare care plans and risk assessments, complete all paperwork and introduce new carers to our client and their home. They’ll also ensure the care team is a suitable one for the client, before holding inductions for the team members. The managers will then arrange shifts alongside current carers (if it’s a package that’s already underway) or they will supervise, sign off on competencies – depending on the individual client’s needs – before they lone work if the package is a new one.
For our team, Nurse Managers are vital in terms or providing support on shifts by way of direct observation of practice, off-site supervisions, team meetings and troubleshooting. All our Nurse Managers have the essential clinical skillset that’s required to properly oversee packages and lead an independent team. Resilient and prepared to take on a very varied role, these experienced professionals are confident in their own ability, ready to lead by example and quick, critical thinkers who can make crucial decisions on the spot.
It’s not common for healthcare providers to have this level of nurse management structure in place. This strong support system is not only something our nurses and carers can rely on for guidance, but also added reassurance for our clients, knowing that there’s an additional level of expertise on-hand to deliver their care. Our increased team of Nurse Managers will encourage more client interaction and ensure the relationships with our clients and their families are as strong as possible.
What differences have our Nurse Managers made?
Having additional Nurse Managers on board is already making a difference. The biggest change I’ve observed is the amount and quality of support that is available to both our clients and our team. Being in the field as opposed to being in the office most of the time means a more dedicated focus on fewer packages. Like case management, this role is seeing our Nurse Managers working closely with our clients and their families on a select number of packages to provide the excellent levels of care our clients require. I’m excited to see these positive changes, as they’re becoming more and more evident as each week goes by. Our team is happy, rotas are filled and our teams can focus on smaller groups of clients – meaning they have the capacity to give their all to the people they’re looking after.