Life has not
stood still after knowing our Qatar move has been delayed.
So what am I
doing?
I have taken
the opportunity to approach nursing in a different manner, in that I have become
self-employed working in interim management, our company is ‘Steggles
Management Ltd’ with a directorship of me and my co-director, Jerry.
What does
that mean?
When a
health business or NHS have a specific task to be completed or need a person to
fill a gap for a period of time and require a specific skill set. The business
can approach an agency to ask them to find an individual to fit their
requirements.
In the mean
time I had shared my CV with a number of agencies with the expectation they
would match me to a relevant role.
With a match
to a role and my skill set determined, I was then invited to interview which
resulted in a successful outcome, I was offered a job.
So now
you’re asking, what is the job?
It is as
Patient Flow Manager in Sussex Community Trust for, initially, a three month
period.
Patient Flow
means trying to improve how a patient moves through the system from an acute
hospital to their discharge when the patient may require community services to
support where ever the patient then lives. In reality I am finding the key
essence of a Patient Flow role is, acting as the catalyst to re-build
relationships which have been damaged through the manner the health economy is
being governed. The outcome of an improved flow for patients is their length of
stay in hospital reduces with the aim appropriate patients are in the
acute/community hospital beds as far as possible.
Did you say
Sussex, that’s a long way from Norfolk!
Yes it is,
so I am away from home weekdays staying in a ‘home from home’ bed and breakfast
just south of Horsham in Partridge Green. It is like living with your elderly
parents. I’m looked after and cared for with a nice circuit to run in the
evening and my breakfast ready each morning, which certainly softens the blow
when away from home.
My job area
is the coastal region of the trust which is five hospitals (Bognor Regis,
Salvington, Rushington, Midhurst, Arundel) with a total of six wards. So the
traveling between the sites is significant but OK.
The worst
part of my working week is getting through the Dartford tunnel going home, to
date I have always had to wait a significant period of time, so I use the time
to make notes about my next blog posting.
OK that
sounds good, how is it going?
I’ve been
employed since the beginning of August and settled into the role well,
concentrating on building a good rapport with the teams I have to influence.
So far I
really enjoy this approach to working, I am focused on the tasks I have to
achieve and able to take a step back from the local politics which is the bit
that ends up being all consuming and exhausting.
I enjoy
being in the position where I am paid a daily rate and the feeling of
flexibility with a greater control over my own destiny.
In essence I
am being paid a lot more money to do the job I was doing in my substantive role
in the NHS with a lot less unpleasant hassle and long may this continue!!!!!!
Festival of
Quilts.
I have taken
my quilt making to a different level by entering one of my quilts into the ‘Festival of
Quilts’ at the NEC in early August. The creation I shared was my quilt I made
for my parents golden wedding anniversary, see below.
I encouraged
my sister to also enter a quilt she made with the primary school children she is
a teaching assistant in Thetford. My mum, Sandra, and Jerry’s mum, Pat, are
both helpers in this craft class and attend school each week, as you can see
are proud participants in the display of Sara’s school children’s quilt.
Eastern
Daily Press – my article.
When I was
not working I was a parent-helper in Dylan’s class at school and then decided
to write about my experience. The education editor at the EDP was very keen to
print my article and I’m really pleased to say didn’t change any of the initial
draft sent to him. If you are interested to see it the link is below, Enjoy!
