Nicola Watson
Forge Place
Summary
Compassionate leader with proven ability to manage healthcare teams and improve patient care standards. Combines strategic planning and strong communication skills to foster collaborative environments. Committed to driving positive outcomes and enhancing healthcare delivery.
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
Work history
Head of Nursing
Surrey and Sussex HC
Redhill, Surrey
2022.10
- Working as an inclusive leader across the division, managing matrons, specialist nurses and Advanced clinical practitioners.
- Responsible to oversee Safeguarding for division - keep a review of deprivation of liberty, section 42s and investigations
- Having an understanding of the surgical division budgets and overseeing key performance indicators to ensure safe quality care across the nursing teams within the division.
- Chairing Senior Sisters meetings, pressure damage meeting and nutrition meetings, the latter two being trust wide and supports the multidisciplinary approach to safe and quality care for patients.
- Grade 8b
- Salary
- Period of notice 12 weeks
- Reason for leaving (if applicable)
Surgical Matron
Surrey and Sussex HC
Redhill, Surrey
2019.05
- Providing Inclusive leadership in both Elective and Emergency Surgical wards.
- Ensuring professional standards are maintained by means of supporting and educating staff to provide high standards of clinical care, focusing on patient safety and experience using both the Trust strategy and CQC standards of care.
- Educating and developing Ward Managers and Nurse Specialists, and empowering them to be responsible for their own areas through audit and use of Key Performance Indicators necessary to maintain high standards of care.
- Workforce planning through safe staffing and playing an active role in recruitment and retention. Managing safety in ward templates and establishments through finance and budgeting.
- Service improvement and transformation, including set up of pathways and operational processes in both Elective and Emergency services. These include an active involvement in setting up the Cold Pathway and improving standard operation policies in the Surgical Assessment Unit and Urology Suite.
- Performance management by working collaboratively with Service Managers and Risk Teams to provide clinical governance and quality through complaints, section 42's, RCA's, SI's, operational process and patient flow within the surgical division and Trust as a whole, to provide safe and effective care.
- Grade Band 8a
- Salary 53219.00
- Period of notice
- Reason for leaving (if applicable)
Ward Manager
Surrey and Sussex HC
Redhill, Surrey
2008.04 - 2019.05
- Managing Tandridge ward following a period of no leadership, improving patient safety and experience through setting standards and improving quality of care.
- Answering complaints and using feedback to improve care standards.
- Building a team and developing them through education and training, setting an example as a role model and improving and developing own leadership skills.
- Managing a ward budget in view of staffing templates and establishment and resources necessary to run a ward with high turn over.
- Management of staff and performance.
- Moving from Tandridge ward in 2012 and being actively involved in the planning, implementing and creating a Digestive Diseases Unit.
- Managing the unit consisting of two wards, therefore a larger workforce, team building.
- Working as part of the multi disciplinary team being actively involved in the Surgical leads meetings in ensuring that we were working collaboratively in the division.
- Grade Band 7
- Salary Agenda for Change
- Period of notice
- Reason for leaving (if applicable) Promotion to Matron Role
Colorectal and Stoma Care Nurse Specialist
Surrey and Sussex HC
Redhill, Surrey
2005.04 - 2008.04
- Managing patient pathways in Colorectal Cancer from diagnosis to treatment.
- Responsible for updating and co-ordinating spreadsheets to ensure pathways under two week rule were followed robustly.
- Working as part of the Multidisciplinary team, attending MDT weekly for patients
- Actively involved in outpatients appointments with Consultant when receiving bad news, being a patient advocate, advising, educating, counselling, supporting and discussing patient journey.
- Education and training in stoma care to Ward Nursing teams in view of providing optimal care for patients in hospital.
- Providing Stoma education to patients and their relatives and providing a home visit service
- Providing an advice line service to out patients
- Becoming an expert in the field through education, training and undertaking a Batchelor of science in cancer care.
- Providing independent outpatient review clinics to patients
- Grade Band 6
- Salary
- Period of notice
- Reason for leaving (if applicable) Moved to Ward Manager on Tandridge Ward
Sister
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare
Redhill, Surrey
2002.06 - 2005.04
- Promoted to Sister on current ward, at the time no Ward Manager or Senior Sister
- Taking charge of the ward
- Carrying out patient care, observation, monitoring deteriorating patients
- Assisted in setting up a step down area in one of the ward bays, to receive patients with a higher dependency could be nursed with a higher ratio of nurses.
- Wound management and stoma care link Nurse
- Education and training to junior staff
- Writing Ward rotas to ensure safe staff
- Responsible for ordering patient resources for day to day running of the ward.
- Monitoring staff sickness and Annual leave requests
- Grade F
- Salary
- Period of notice
- Reason for leaving (if applicable) Moved to Colorectal Cancer Team
Staff Nurse
Surrey and Sussex HC
Redhill, Surrey
2000.12 - 2002.06
- Basic nursing care
- Management of group of up to 13 patients
- Pressure care
- Maintaining fluid balance and observation
- Care planning
- Link Nursing
- Team working
- Grade D
- Salary
- Period of notice
- Reason for leaving (if applicable) Promoted to F grade
Staff Nurse - Agency
Nurses Registration Board
1999.07 - 2000.06
- Worked in hospitals in various states in Australia as a registered nurse whilst travelling .
- Worked on various wards including Surgical, Medical, gynae and ENT
- Carrying out basic nursing care
- Observations
- Medication rounds
- Management of 6 patients and all care needs
- Working in various teams
- Working the Northern Territory gave me experience in working in an aboriginal community.
- Grade F
- Salary
- Period of notice
- Reason for leaving (if applicable) This work was over a period of a year travelling in Australia
Fertility Nurse Specialist
London Women's Clinic
London
1997.06 - 2000.06
- Fertility pathways - IVF, IUI and artificial insemination
- Providing support and management to patients undergoing procedures
- Clinic Nurse
- Theatre Nurse
- Taking blood and delivering injection
- Telephone helplines
- Carrying out procedures of IUI and AI independently
- Advocating for patients through their journey
- Grade D grade Equivalent (private)
- Salary
- Period of notice
- Reason for leaving (if applicable) To go travelling
Staff Nurse
Epsom Hospital
Epsom, Surrey
1996.09 - 1997.06
- First post when qualified
- Delivering patient care to medical patients
- Observations
- Medicine rounds
- Care Planning
- Grade D
- Salary
- Period of notice
- Reason for leaving (if applicable) Career change to private sector - Fertility Clinic
Education
Master of Science - Leadership and Management
Ashridge Hult International Business School
Batchelor of Science - Clinical Practice (Cancer Care)
University of Surrey
Diploma of Higher Education - Adult Nursing
Kingston University
BTEC National Diploma - Science (Health Studies)
East Surrey Hospital
Certificate of pre-vocational Education - undefined
St Bedes Sixth Form
English - undefined
St Bedes Sixth Form
Maths - undefined
St Bedes Sixth Form
Skills
- Budget management
- Process Improvement
- Quality Assurance
- Strategic planning
- Team Leadership
- Cultural awareness
- Performance metrics analysis
- Recruitment and hiring
- Employee training and development
- Clinical governance
- Staff management
- Strategic leadership
- Budgeting knowledge
- Duty rota administration
- Person-centred care
- Patient advocacy
- Ward management
- Empathy and compassion
- Duty rostering
- Clinical governance understanding
- Quality improvement proficiency
- Leadership competence
Training courses attended
- Edward Jenner Leadership Academy online -completed in 6 months 2021
- Mentorship SASH 4 months 2004
Professional registration
- Professional registration
- Professional body
- Please provide details below
- Registered Nurse
- Membership / Registration number 9310931E
- Expiry / renewal date 2024-08-31
Gaps in employment
- Gaps in employment
- If you have any gaps within your employment history, please state the reasons for the gaps below.
- 6 months between June and December 2000 - Travelling
NHS service
- NHS service
- Start date of continuous NHS service December 2000
- Months since most recent employment ended (if applicable)
Preferred employment type
- Preferred employment type
- What is your preferred employment type? Full time
Timeline
Head of Nursing
Surrey and Sussex HC
2022.10
Surgical Matron
Surrey and Sussex HC
2019.05
Ward Manager
Surrey and Sussex HC
2008.04 - 2019.05
Colorectal and Stoma Care Nurse Specialist
Surrey and Sussex HC
2005.04 - 2008.04
Sister
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare
2002.06 - 2005.04
Staff Nurse
Surrey and Sussex HC
2000.12 - 2002.06
Staff Nurse - Agency
Nurses Registration Board
1999.07 - 2000.06
Fertility Nurse Specialist
London Women's Clinic
1997.06 - 2000.06
Staff Nurse
Epsom Hospital
1996.09 - 1997.06
Maths - undefined
St Bedes Sixth Form
English - undefined
St Bedes Sixth Form
Certificate of pre-vocational Education - undefined
St Bedes Sixth Form
BTEC National Diploma - Science (Health Studies)
East Surrey Hospital
Diploma of Higher Education - Adult Nursing
Kingston University
Batchelor of Science - Clinical Practice (Cancer Care)
University of Surrey
Master of Science - Leadership and Management
Ashridge Hult International Business School