Since becoming RCN Wales Nurse of the Year (NOTY) 2023, I have been extremely fortunate to broaden the context and scope of my work. From being part of the NOTY alumni and attending many events, the insights I’ve been exposed to have really made me think about my work as part of a whole.

My learning as a Clinical Nurse Specialist has been mostly clinical, despite the role requiring a strong leadership presence. I’d had no formal leadership training previously, but was always learning on the job. 

Taking the first steps

As part of my goal to develop as a leader, I applied for the Florence Nightingale Foundation (FNF) Emerging Leader Scholarship. I was overjoyed to have been successful as there were only four spaces allocated for Wales. I received extremely supportive mentorship and really started to recognise a change in myself. I was now feeling ready to take the next proactive step in my leadership journey.

I’ve always been interested in nursing and health care across the world, particularly in Australia where they have both public and private aspects of health care. So, I took a deep breath and reached out to the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer for Western Australia who, to my surprise, agreed to meet me!

I also contacted a Liver Clinical Nurse Consultant who invited me to an annual audit at the transplant unit at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth. To my amazement, I was met with another invitation to a conference through The Liver Foundation charity. As you can imagine, I saw this as an unmissable investment in my development and quickly booked my plane ticket to Perth!

What I learned

It was the most fantastic experience. I learned a lot about Australia’s health care system, the dynamics of the nursing profession and reflected on my own development.

Western Australia is certainly trailblazing in the arena of liver cancer. As this is a service relatively new in Wales, developing those networks has been invaluable. The health care system in Australia relies heavily on general practices and local hospitals who have a huge range of skills to manage patients locally. However, for more advanced care, patients are often required to travel. Geographically, this could mean up to a 4-hour flight, so many don’t access these services. The specialist team will travel to remote areas to help support and train staff at local hospitals, but this has its own challenges and restrictions.

It was also a great opportunity to benchmark and share best practice. During the audit meeting, there were some prompted ethical discussions around liver transplantation, and I felt proud to advocate the opt out system we have here in Wales. I also felt proud to describe how well we work as a nation and share best practice through our forums.

Although times are extremely difficult for the NHS, we are leading the way in innovative care and policy in Wales and the UK, and it was a great opportunity to use my platform to champion innovative liver care.

Take the initiative - it pays off

As a result of the visit, I have been asked to help train some of the nurses there. This will be done on a virtual basis initially and who knows what opportunities may arise in the future.

If you're thinking of gaining nursing experience abroad as part of your professional development, I'd certainly encourage you to go for it! Not only will you find opportunities to broaden your own knowledge base but you'll be able to share your own expertise too. Having a more strategic lens on health care is invaluable.