Stavroula Chante

Macmillan Lead Cancer Nurse, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust; Senior Lecturer, Oxford Brookes University 

FoNS Inspire Improvement Fellow

Well, it certainly has provided me with a massive development in my career itself because since I did the fellowship, I have got a promotion, in a different hospital. The knowledge, tools and approaches I learnt during the fellowship certainly helped me in the interview.

I feel that I’ve become a more inclusive leader and I feel more compassionate. I’m not just compassionate with patients, which as a nurse is a natural thing but I’ve also made the decision to prioritise the staff. Patients will never be happy if staff are burned out, exhausted, don’t feel valued, or if staff are not released do extra training.

In my current my approach to staff has changed. I ask their opinions, and I actively, fully, listen. In my new role, I have to observe practice and ‘measure’ care, watch the data. But I can only make changes if I know what is happening now and so spending time with the staff, valuing their opinions, asking them the questions, brainstorming feedback from them are an important part of my way of working. Staff feel accountable because I involve them in the decisions that we make and I don’t constantly have to follow up all the time. I have received very good comments already from the CNSs, mentioning that I’m very visible and supportive.

Thinking about it now, it really makes me realise how valuable and amazing the programme was.