Celebrating Excellence: National Retention Community of Practice, Shortlisted for the Nursing Times Award
The dedication and innovation of the HEIW led National Retention Community of Practice in partnership with the Nursing Community of NHS Wales have been recognised on a national stage, as finalists for the prestigious Nursing Times Workforce Team of the Year award. This honour celebrates the remarkable achievements and efforts of the National Retention Programme and its impact upon improving Nurse retention across NHS Wales.
Central to this success has been the National Retention Community of Practice which has been led and co-ordinated by HEIW and the sustained efforts of retention and nurse leaders across NHS Wales. Through the work of the community of practice national retention, metrics, digital dashboards, retention improvement resources and interventions have been developed to support and collectively deliver a data driven and targeted improvement approaches that have been spread and scaled across NHS Wales. Through their shared dedication, passion, and commitment to work collectively together to improve retention a group of individuals from organisations across Wales have united and transformed into a high performing and unified team.
Through the hard work, tenacity and leadership of the leads and the strategic infrastructure of HEIW to make retention a national priority, the national retention programme has progressed at pace with significant downward trends in both staff turnover and voluntary resignation rates being demonstrated, and over 400 nurse leavers being avoided and their knowledge, skills and expertise retained. These improvements have not only strengthened the workforce but also enhanced the safety, quality and productivity of services and care across Wales and saved the NHS millions in recruitment, onboarding, lost training and temporary staffing costs.
Reflecting on the team’s success, Zoe (National Retention Programme Lead, HEIW) shared:
“Being shortlisted as finalists for this award is a testament to the hard work, passion, and dedication of all retention and nursing leads across NHS Wales. Their collective efforts have significantly improved nurse retention by creating supportive and compassionate environments that encourage colleagues to work, thrive and stay within NHS Wales. It is an honour to be recognised collectively for our efforts as a national community of practice and team, and it is a great opportunity to celebrate a wonderful group of people and the difference they have made.”
To read more on the National Retention Programmes success, visit the article Improving Retention Together in NHS Wales