Adesola Oriola is a Deputy Sister at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She is also an FNF alumna of FNF’s Emerging Leaders programme. Here Adesola talks about her experience on the programme, and the impact it has had on herself and on her patients.
Quality Improvement is a day-to-day thing, not a one-off听
“I actually stumbled on the Emerging Leaders programme advertisement by chance, and I decided to give it a try. After my place was confirmed, I knew was about to have a life changing experience.听听
As an immigrant nurse with barely any experience on quality improvement I knew that the programme听would bring about a significant impact in my nursing career. I have only been a band 6 nurse for about a听year听and听I am听still quite new to the leadership field. However,听this programme听has given me better insight to understanding what type of leader I am and given me the confidence to have difficult conversations.听听
I听carried out听my QI project on pressure ulcers,听and I was听actually amazed听by the amount of knowledge I听already听had, especially听as this was my first QI project.听
"This programme听has given me better insight to understanding what type of leader I am and given me the confidence to have difficult conversations.听"
Adesola Oriola, Deputy Sister, York and Scarborough NHS Trust
My Quality Improvement (QI) Project
The goal of听my QI听project听was听to听increase compliance with my trust鈥檚 pressure ulcer policy 鈥� to听ensure that staff听on my ward听knew听what to do and鈥痟ow听to go about it when dealing with pressure ulcers.
- The 鈥楶lan, Do, Study, Act鈥� (PDSA) framework was used to implement the solutions and to鈥痑nalyse鈥痶he data obtained.鈥�
- After鈥痩iaising鈥痺ith the ward manager and the matron, a pressure ulcer checklist was put together听and added to the pressure ulcer pack on the ward.鈥��
- Training was鈥痝iven to staff, information as added to the ward鈥檚 safety brief, and听compliancy听rate reviewed regularly for eight weeks.
- There was an听overall improvement in the听compliance to trust policy听from 40% to 73% during the听eight听weeks of implementation.
- The checklist is still being utilised鈥痠n the ward and refresher courses have been scheduled in order to continue to improve compliance.
Doing听the QI project听as part of the programme听has taught me听that听improvement is a day-to-day听day thing and not听a听one off.听I have learnt how to appreciate data and how to use it to bring about positive change. It听has听made me interact with the team more. My major reflection would be knowing that data beats my opinion as it serves as a major benchmark rather than my emotions.听听
I would like to thank all the amazing facilitators we had during this program. I would also like to thank my ward manager and trust for sending me on this training. I have become a better leader as a result of it, and I can鈥檛 wait for what the future holds.”