Hospitals' trust honoured with prestigious national nursing award
Posted: 18 November 2021
Retired nurses have shared their rich experience with junior staff, resulting in a well supported workforce and another national award for West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (WHHT).
The trust has just won [awarded on Nov 17] the prestigious Nursing Times Summit and Workforce Awards for ‘Best Workplace for Learning and Development’ for the category where the nursing workforce is under 1,500.
The award recognised the success of a scheme where retired nurses returned in educator roles, providing dedicated support to junior nursing staff at an incredibly challenging time for the trust.
Benefits from this project – which began in early 2020 and is now an established way of working at the trust – are that junior nursing staff gain professional and pastoral support. The programme also has a strong educational aspect so that nurses can make the most of learning opportunities.
WHHT’s chief nurse, Tracey Carter, said: “We are delighted to have been honoured by the Nursing Times Summit and Workforce Awards. I am so proud of this latest award which recognises the wealth of experience passed on by retired nurses. We work hard to provide excellent development opportunities for our staff and so it’s such a boost to have this highlighted nationally. Well done to all involved.”
WHHT were also finalists in the ‘Best Wellbeing and Staff Engagement Initiative’ category for their work in developing a programme for personal and professional development through clinical supervision. The programme promotes wellbeing and mental health safeguarding, while supporting safe practice and is a boost for recruitment and retention.
The good news about the award arrived on the same day that chief nurse Tracey Carter was awarded her MBE at Windsor Castle by the Princess Royal.
Ends
- For more information, please contact the communications team on: 01923 436280 or email: westherts.communications@nhs.uk. Out of hours, please call the Watford General Hospital switchboard on 01923 244366 and ask for the on call communications manager.
- West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves people from across Hertfordshire, north London and further afield. It operates from three hospitals; Watford General, St Albans City and Hemel Hempstead. The trust has a catchment area of over 500,000 people and is one of the largest employers locally, with around 5,000 staff and volunteers.
- For more information about our hospitals, visit www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk. You can also join our followers on Twitter (twitter.com/westhertsNHS) and find us on Facebook (facebook.com/westhertsNHS)
