“I felt like my potential was seen and supported”
Ernestine Lottin shares her journey in becoming a more proactive and engaged leader with the support of her manager and neonatal unit team at Newham.
“In 2015, I came back to work at Newham Hospital, having previously worked there in 2009 when I opened the neonatal community service. Second time around, my role was matron on the neonatal ward. This involved both the day-to-day running of the unit but also working to develop the team – both as individuals and within the unit.
“When I started, I knew I had the necessary clinical skills to do the role. But there came a point when I realised that while I had a lot of the leadership skills a matron needed, there were some that I needed training and support to develop. When I looked at the training and education programmes available to me, many were really useful, but they didn’t fully meet my needs and weren’t necessarily geared towards what people working in specialist areas, like neonates, needed.
Taking the bull by the horns
“I decided to organise some training for myself, including meeting with the finance team to get training in how to manage my ward’s budget. I also did a number of the courses offered by the Trust which were really helpful.
“A few years into the role, in 2019, I heard about a Business and Organisational Strategy Masters that the University of Hertfordshire Business School run. When I looked at what it offered, I knew it was what I needed to develop into the leader I wanted to be. But I wasn’t sure if I would be able to do the course and continue my clinical work.
“I spoke to Sherry Manning, my manager and the divisional director for women’s and children’s at Newham Hospital about it. When I did, it’s an understatement to say she was supportive. I remember her saying that I deserved to take the time to develop myself, and hearing that from her – having her say yes with no hesitancy – was amazing. I felt like my potential was seen and supported.
“The classes ran 1 to 2 days per week, I would drive two hours to where the University, and either go home or back to the ward. It was odd being back in a classroom and it was hard and tiring, but I loved it.
Building confidence
“I’ve now finished the Masters and looking back, there were so many ‘a ha’ moments for me, like learning about operations processes and finance. I’ve learned so much and now have the confidence and skills to be the senior leader that I want to be. And perhaps more importantly, I have the skills to better support and develop the people on my team and in the unit.
“Completing this Master also gave me confidence and in my mind, the credibility, to be a more proactive and engaged leader. In fact, it’s the only reason I felt confident applying for a two-year secondment with the London Neonatal Operational Delivery Network (ODN) Network on a project to Family Integrated Care (FICare) – a pilot programme funded by NHSE/I looking at a new model of delivering care to neonatal babies and their families.
“The project also supports families to be the primary carers for their babies and not seen as visitors; ensures the neonatal experience and journey is a developmentally sensitive and positive one and reducing variations in care and implementing and embedding the UNICEF’s Breastfeeding initiatives (BFI) and Bliss baby charter accreditations within units. I’m proud to say I got the role as the Lead Care Coordinator for all the 27 neonatal units in London!
“It also made me realise I’m passionate about learning and developing. That’s why I’m hoping to secure funding to do a PhD, looking at how to develop senior leadership training programmes for nurses working in specialist areas, like neonates.
Supporting others is vital
“When doing the Masters, I kept wishing I’d had the opportunity to do it sooner in my career, when I was more junior. That way, when more senior positions became available, I would have already had the knowledge and skills needed to do the roles and been more confident to apply for them. My hope is that if I’m successful with my PhD, I can fill this gap for specialist nurses and so help to develop even better leaders from an earlier career stage.
“To anyone reading this – nurse, AHP, doctor – who is thinking about pursuing further education, be it a Masters or a PhD, I say do it. Yes it will be hard but what you’ll gain is amazing.
“And to any managers or senior leaders who are asked by staff to support them in pursuing higher education or the Trust apprenticeship programme, I urge you to say yes, encourage and support them. Without the support I received from Sherry, other senior leaders within the Division and members of the executive board a Newham Hospital, I wouldn’t have applied for or completed my Masters with commendation!. I hope someday, someone else can say this about you.”
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