Tell us a little bit about yourself and your improvement journey.

I am a proud Nurse, a Practitioner, a Transformational Leader and was recently awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts. My improvement journey started even before I knew I was on an improvement journey.

Looking back at my almost 20-year career in the provider sector of the NHS in a range of roles, I can now see that my professional curiosity had motivated me to learn more about why we do what we do as nurses and how we should always make it better for patients. I started as a staff nurse by reflecting on my care and tailoring my care accordingly. I now know that this is what is termed ‘Quality Improvement’.

As a young, shy and introverted staff nurse, in fact all my life, I have had a curious mind.

As a young, shy and introverted staff nurse, in fact all my life, I have had a curious mind. I think more than I speak and have worked diligently to maximise the opportunities for professional growth and development. I learned very early in my journey that I need to have the ability to learn, unlearn and relearn because these are essential quality improvement skills.

Throughout my career, quality improvement has always been an element of my many roles.  From starting out as a Staff Nurse, all the way to my current role leading on quality assessment and assurance with provider organisations, I have realised it was a connecting thread.

What first attracted you to Q?

I first heard about the vibrant Q community many years ago from a former Director of Education who thought it may have been of interest to me and it was. However, I could not find the confidence to put myself forward. I think it was a combination of imposter syndrome as well as unfamiliarity with the complex jargon that held me back. Whatever it was, it stopped me from making the bold move to apply.

Since then, I have been encouraged by ‘little voices’ of family members or managers who say ‘go on, it’s within your gift.’

It was a recent conversation with a colleague who had been accepted into the Q community that spurred me on and when I started my secondment, I finally found the headspace to complete the application form. I was keen to join the Q community because of the prestige in which it is held. The opportunities for growth, development and inspiration for myself and in turn inspiring others are phenomenal.

What are you hoping to get out of Q?

I’m hoping to share my experience and inspire professionals who may now be feeling how I felt all those years ago. Through the community, I will use the platform to connect with improvement colleagues and demystify QI, give hope to others who are practicing QI without even knowing it yet by creating environments in which we nurture talent, train the future generation of QI leaders and share our passion.

I’m hoping to share my experience and inspire professionals who may now be feeling how I felt all those years ago.

I hope to use the resources that are available to network with other like-minded quality improvement professionals at various stages of our journeys. I look forward to lifelong learning, creating new ways of working and inspiring others to find their own passions in an area that I have a specialist interest in.

I look forward to building on the recognition of the Q community so that I can share my own QI expertise on a range of areas within healthcare.