This week, 12-18 May, is Mental Health Awareness Week; an annual campaign which shines a spotlight on the importance of mental health. Since its launch over 20 years ago, it has grown into one of the most recognised awareness events both in the UK and around the world.
This year, we wanted to feature an FNF Alumna, Aine Buller, who shares her experience of undertaking a FNF leadership development programme specifically aimed at Mental Health and Learning Disability nurses.
“From the very beginning of my healthcare career as a Healthcare Assistant, I was encouraged to step up and lead, to share ideas with the team. However, despite the confidence others had in me, I often lacked it in myself. But, I was driven by a strong desire to make a meaningful impact and contribute to team discussions that would ultimately improve patient care.
Two and a half years after qualifying as a nurse, I had the incredible opportunity to apply for a place on the Florence Nightingale Foundation’s Leadership Programme for Mental Health and Learning Disability Nurses. Initially, I questioned whether it was too early for me to consider leadership, but I quickly remembered the advice given to me as a Healthcare Assistant: anyone can lead within a team. This motivated me to write my application.
This leadership programme gave me the confidence to speak up, share my ideas, and make a difference. It reinforced my belief in the power of leadership at every level of a team and provided me with the tools and knowledge to grow as a leader throughout my nursing career.
Aine Buller, Registered Mental Health Nurse, Hub Keystone Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
“The experience as a whole was fantastic, the people who ran the programme, those learning on the programme with me and support from FNF. I have built confidence to speak my ideas into existence and developed my knowledge and skills from each session, facilitator and peer. I learnt about how to present and build my presence through a fun RADA day (a day I will never forget for its uniqueness), I built on my knowledge on Psychological Safety and its importance in leadership and in my role as a team member, as well learning about authority and how to communicate effectively.
The programme equipped me with practical tools for leading with confidence. It also enabled me to develop in my role as one of the carers champions and contribute to improving the support we provide to families and carers of patients in our service. As part of the Leadership Programme, we learnt about Quality Improvement. Learning more about Quality Improvement helped me to think about the work we are doing in my Trust for family and carers and helped to think about how to structure the process of improving support for families and carers into a Quality Improvement Project format. Family and carer involvement is an area I am so passionate about, with the benefits this can have for people and their recovery as well as a focus on the wellbeing of families and carers. This is an area I will continue to think about, develop and share ideas on. Thanks to the programme, I feel able to.
I encourage anyone looking to develop their leadership skills to seek out opportunities like this one. The Florence Nightingale Foundation has been instrumental in my journey, and I am excited to continue learning and evolving as a leader in healthcare.”
