World Health Day – supporting the health and well-being of Admiral Nurses

This World Health Day, we are spotlighting Dementia UK’s Professional and Practice Development (PPD) Team. The team takes a person-centered approach and provides ongoing support to our Admiral Nurses.

Caroline Scates, Head of Professional Practice and Development, shares more about how Dementia UK supports the health and wellbeing of Admiral Nurses.

Admiral Nurse inductions

When nurses first join us, we hold an induction course so that the nurses can spend some time getting to know more about Dementia UK, Admiral Nursing and their colleagues. These sessions are held virtually, and nurses can connect in breakout rooms and start to develop relationships. This allows Admiral Nurses to begin to build a strong support network of colleagues and also relationships with the teams at Dementia UK.

Practice Action Learning Sets (PALS)

In PALS sessions (clinical supervision) we always do a ‘check-in’ to see how everyone is and how they are feeling. This can be something light, such as: “What has today been like for you so far?” or: “Name one thing you are looking forward to.” This gives our Admiral Nurses time and space to become mindful and think about how they are feeling. It also allows everyone to connect with their colleagues.

We recognise the value of a ‘safe space’ and PALS provide that. The sessions offer a confidential and supportive space for Admiral Nurses to share what is happening for them and a way to reflect upon some of the situations they encounter in their roles.

Leadership programme

The PPD Team runs a leadership programme to help Admiral Nurses to progress in their careers and to step into leadership roles.

There is a focus on self-care throughout our Admiral Nurse leadership programme. We believe that to lead others, you need to first know yourself. The sessions allow nurses to consider their own unique style with a steer towards compassionate leadership.

Online support

We have an online learning platform which Admiral Nurses use to develop their practice. There is a whole section dedicated to wellbeing with tools such as mindfulness videos and tips. Admiral Nurses can log in and access this at any time that suits them.

One-to-one support

We also offer one-to-one sessions to support Admiral Nurse development. These focus on the whole person which means we can tailor support to the individual.

We are a people-focused organisation and value relationship building. One-to-one sessions allow us to get to know an Admiral Nurse on a deeper level and to understand their unique experiences.