Nurse hopes fellowship will support wellbeing of international nurses
Published 06/12/2023
One of the first nurses to join Health Education and Improvement Wales’ Welsh Clinical Leadership Training Fellowship (WCLTF) programme will focus her fellowship on improving wellbeing support for international nursing colleagues across NHS Wales.
The WCLTF provides training in clinical leadership and management to develop aspiring clinical leaders of the NHS. As part of the programme, each fellow is tasked with a leadership and management project from proposals submitted by healthcare organisations in Wales.
Kehinde Lewis (pictured above), who is undertaking her project out of Hywel Dda University Health Board, hopes to create better access to wellbeing resources for international nurses to help guide and support them as they transition into roles within NHS Wales.
Originally from Africa, Kehinde first moved to the UK in 2005 having previously worked as an emergency and occupational health nurse in a private hospital in Nigeria.
After gaining UK registration in 2006, she moved back to Africa where she took on a managerial nursing role in ensuring quality improvement and assurance, before returning to the UK in 2017 to drive quality improvements at a large nursing home.
Following this, Kehinde joined the NHS in 2020. She said:
“I am more determined than ever to support fellow nursing colleagues, both as part of this fellowship and for the rest of my career.
“I want to help ensure that nurses, particularly international nurses, can more easily access the help and guidance they need to excel in their roles and feel happy and supported at work. This, amongst other things, is key to international nurse retention.
“I’m also looking forward to further developing my compassionate leadership skills.
“For me, compassionate leadership is about paying attention to, motivating, empowering, empathising with and most importantly, serving the people you lead. I feel that the WCLTF is a great opportunity to work with like-minded individuals to help improve these essential skills.”
Dr Ian Collings, Director Medic Professional Support and Development at Health Education and Improvement Wales, and WCLF Programme Director, said:
“I am delighted that Kehinde is one of two nurses joining our Welsh Clinical Leadership Training Fellowship.
The programme has been extending to become truly mutli-professional over the past five years. Its wonderful that Kehinde and her co-nursing leadership fellow are being trailblazers for the nursing profession in this programme. We are excited to see all the wonderful work that Kehinde will be delivering as a fellow in Hywel Dda University Health Board and her onward leadership journey.”
More information about Health Education and Improvement Wales’ Welsh Clinical Leadership Training Fellowship programme.