“Attending the Silver QI Training really helped me to understand how to start to manage effective delivery of the work and also how to better evaluate the delivery which in turn led to changes to the work programme.”

Helen Degnan is a Project Nurse at Vale of York CCG with a Community Nursing and Infection Control Specialist background. Helen did not have any previous experience in Quality Improvement or project management prior to starting her role with Vale of York CGG.

When Helen initially started in her Project Nurse post, although a lot of the project planning had already taken place, she felt as though she didn’t know where or how to start. It was a very different environment for Helen and a ‘shock to the system’ so she decided to attend the Silver Quality Improvement Training to help develop skills to equip her for her new role.

Attending the Silver Quality Improvement Training has helped Helen to understand more about (a) how to design an improvement project (and why), (b) how to manage effective delivery of the work, and (c) how to better evaluate the delivery of the project. This has, in turn, led to changes to the work programme. Helen has particularly valued understanding how the model for improvement can be used when planning delivery of the work.

Helen’s role has expanded and has now become a permanent post. She now manages other projects including testing and embedding Stop and Watch (part of the Patient Safety Collaborative deteriorating patient priority programme), embedding safety huddles, as part of the HUSH network, and she is potentially also working on falls prevention in care homes. Helen feels that the core Quality Improvement skills that she learnt at the course will help her to deliver these projects successfully.

Helen attended the Improvement Academy Silver Quality Improvement Training day, funded through the Yorkshire and Humber AHSN on 23rd May 2018.