Each year we honour active members from across the UK who have made an exceptional contribution to the RCN and wider nursing profession. Here we share the experiences of our RCN Rep and Student Ambassador of the Year Award winners, who have made a real difference to members in their workplace or university
Learning Rep of the Year winner: Lesley-Anne Hodgkiss
It took an alignment of the stars for Lesley-Anne Hodgkiss to realise she wanted to become an RCN learning rep. An RCN member for several years following her qualification in 2005, Lesley-Anne moved back to her native Belfast from the Midlands in 2018.
She decided to attend her first RCN Congress as it was taking place in Belfast that year. She had a great time, meeting lots of RCN reps, and came away with the feeling that the learning rep role was for her.
Lesley-Anne is a clinical trainer working in the independent sector, and so finds that her rep role fits naturally with her thirst for knowledge and championing learning. Lesley-Anne says: “I’m passionate about nurses having the information to empower themselves. Nurses can sometimes fall into bad habits and get boxed in. Underneath it all I’m still a nurse, I want to see people cared for really well.”
Having worked in both the health service and the independent sector, Lesley-Anne is acutely aware of the difference in access to training and other learning resources nursing staff in the independent sector can face. Covering much of Northern Ireland in work, for Lesley-Anne this means linking members to resources is a core part of her role.
Lesley-Anne is particularly proud of her work delivering preceptorship training for her employer, where she has trained more than 200 nurses so far – many of them international nurses.
While it is part of her day job, she has been able to bring her RCN rep experience to the training, supporting the acclimatisation of nurses coming to a new country and health service, while “setting a precedence for learning.”
Once I see Lesley-Anne's name as a trainer there is a lift of joy in my heart. I know I'm going to understand all the details of that training
Lesley-Anne received an incredible seven nominations for her Rep of the Year award, all from international nurses that she has supported through preceptorship training.
For Oluchukwu Ekee, one of her nominators, Lesley-Anne had come to her home to deliver a training session when an email from the RCN a few days earlier came to mind. The email had asked “who inspires you?” and for her Lesley-Anne fit the description perfectly, so she made the decision to nominate her.
Oluchukwu says: “Once I see her name as a trainer there is a lift of joy in my heart. I know I’m going to understand all the details of that training.” As the only RCN member in her care home, Oluchukwu had felt isolated and lacked an understanding of what the RCN could offer her as a member. During her preceptorship, Lesley-Anne provided RCN resources, becoming a role model for Oluchukwu to become more involved with the College.
Asked for her advice to new learning reps, Lesley-Anne says: “Don’t be afraid to stand up for learning. Get to know the real issues in your area and what needs to be addressed. Build networks, get to know your branch well, and ask for support when you need it.”
Learning Rep of the Year commendee: Tracey Risebrow
Tracey received the commendation for her work as a learning rep and her involvement in her employer’s clinical induction programme. Tracey supported the recruitment of a new RCN steward through the programme, leading on the steward’s learning and development.
Tracey is full of knowledge and creates a welcoming and supportive environment when introducing new members to the RCN.
Safety Rep of the Year winner: Vicky Brotherton
Vicky became an RCN safety rep in 2016, having spent the previous two years as a steward. In that time, she had found herself frequently supporting members who were unable to return to work due to incomplete workplace assessments or a failure of their line managers to support their mental health and wellbeing. Vicky decided that by becoming a safety rep she could give more rounded support to members, with the two roles complementing each other.
Vicky is an advocate for how RCN reps can work together for better outcomes. In her cases she will often ask for the input of a learning rep if the member needs to access education or training; a fellow steward if a difficult case requires anonymised discussion; or a fellow safety rep when health and safety issues need shared working. Vicky says: “We work as a team but then that’s the RCN; it’s my other family.”
Vicky draws upon 30 years of experience building networks in her trust and she benefits from great relationships with the chief nurse and executive directors. Her access to them and other key decision makers within the trust benefits the RCN and its members, as Vicky can reach the right people at the right time to raise health and safety issues.
Vicky is currently working in partnership with other unions to raise awareness of menopause in the workplace. This has involved reviewing workplace environments, discussing uniforms in lighter weight materials with procurement and negotiating extra breaks to support staff who are affected. She has also worked with the occupational health and wellbeing team to create a leaflet raising awareness of the issues colleagues experiencing the menopause may face.
Vicky is equally as passionate about supporting members to access mental health and wellbeing support. “At every health and safety meeting I attend, I always want to know how many staff are off work due to stress, whether it is work-related, and what support they are receiving.”
Becoming a rep will add value to your life. It’s a really great community to be a part of
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vicky has given particular focus to staff who are shielding, raising the importance of keeping in touch with these staff members who may be experiencing heightened loneliness and feelings of guilt, as well as the importance of Display Screen Equipment (DSE) assessments for those working at home.
Alison Williams, Vicky’s colleague and nominator, was ecstatic to hear that Vicky had been named RCN Safety Rep of the Year, describing her as “a calm, experienced nurse with a gentle way of speaking who is well respected due to her professionalism.”
In her concluding remarks, Vicky says: “Looking back over my time as an RCN rep, I’ve made friends for life. Becoming a rep will add value and meaning to your life. It’s a really great community to be a part of.”
Safety Rep of the Year commendee: Marie Therese Ross
Marie Therese received the commendation in recognition of her role supporting RCN members and staff through the industrial action process in Northern Ireland. She played a leading role on her local strike committee, ensuring patient safety and managing her local picket line to ensure members stayed safe during strike action.
Steward of the Year winner: Karen English
When Karen English was involved in a conflict at work a decade ago, she contacted the RCN and was put in touch with a steward who supported her through the process. Once the conflict was resolved, the steward suggested that Karen would make a fantastic RCN rep. This was something she had considered before, but the encouragement gave Karen the push she needed.
After her accreditation, Karen spent her first few years as a steward juggling her RCN commitments with a busy role as an A&E sister. She was delighted when her trust recognised the need for a full-time RCN rep, and she has been seconded into the role for the past six years.
For Karen, being a steward means “you can empower members, provide support, promote best practice, rebuild trust in broken relationships and enhance the reputation of the trust you’re working in.” In her role, she can draw upon relationships built over 30 years working in her trust, including a strong rapport with the management team. Her networks within the trust mean she is able to understand the problems and pressures both nurses and management face, empathising with both and promoting partnership working.
Karen feels her greatest achievements have come in the cases where she has helped members to remain in post when they have believed they were going to lose their job. “When we create a really good professional relationship between that manager and member which is able to continue, that makes me proud.”
Being a steward means you can empower members, provide support, promote best practice and rebuild trust in broken relationships
Karen has received great support in her role from her RCN regional office, but also from members of her RCN branch, none more so than her nominator and fellow steward, Kath Allan. Despite working in different trusts, Karen and Kath have built a great relationship and hold “supervision sessions” where they can discuss challenging cases without breaking confidentiality.
Kath says it’s really beneficial having someone with Karen’s insight and describes her as someone who goes above and beyond in her role as a steward. This has been particularly evident in the past 18 months, when Karen has maintained her steward caseload despite a significant illness which required treatment.
Kath says: “Karen recognises how brave members have to be to contact the RCN, especially when managers aren’t keen for you to contact a union person. When you have someone in your life who takes time for the little things, seeing them acknowledged, it does mean a lot. I just think it’s gone to the right person.”
As an experienced steward, Karen’s advice to someone about to achieve their accreditation is: “Be positive, be yourself, be open and transparent, and fight for what you believe. Make the member feel safe and respected in their workplace. More than anything though, enjoy yourself.”
Steward of the Year commendee: Gina Holmes
Gina received the commendation for her work as a steward and staff side chair. She has rebuilt relationships and created a highly effective partnership, earning the respect of both management and her peers.
Gina’s leadership is characterised by her passion and enthusiasm, and has led to a range of positive outcomes, improving working conditions and addressing inequities in policies and procedures.
Student Ambassador of the Year winner: Clare Manley
Clare received the Student Ambassador of the Year award to mark her incredible efforts to raise the profile of the RCN at her university. Among her many activities, Clare developed and delivered a lecture for first year students which highlighted the value of the RCN library and the student ambassador role, set up RCN noticeboards in all of her placement areas and arranged for 20 students in her region to attend RCN Congress in 2019.
Now qualified, Clare plans to remain active and is already involved in a project to expand support for newly qualified nurses (NQNs). Clare says: “People can feel alienated when they join the world of work so we want them to know the RCN is here. We recently set up an RCN Twitter account for NQNs and within a few days, it had more than 1,000 followers.”
RCN UK Students Committee Chair Jess Sainsbury, who nominated Clare for the award, says: “Clare has worked tirelessly for students nationally. She has done it with passion, grace, and without complaining. We all need someone like Clare to advocate for us. She is an inspiration to us all.”
To find out more about Clare, read her interview in RCN Students magazine.
Student Ambassador of the Year commendee: Stephanie Jones
Stephanie received the commendation to recognise her work in setting up the Nursing Society at her university. The Nursing Society has helped to build a strong network to support students, and Stephanie has been at the heart of this effort. She has been described as resilient, committed, enthusiastic and full of integrity.
Words by Luke Dixon
