Fiona Owen | "It’s about making it a good experience and doing the best you can do for your patient."

As we celebrate International Nurses’ Day, we shine a spotlight on Matron in Planned Care, Fiona Owen, a dedicated colleague whose journey with East Cheshire NHS Trust began in 1998.

Fiona’s passion for nursing was evident from a young age working in a care home alongside several different part-time jobs in care homes too.

"I knew I wanted to be a nurse from a child” she said. “Leaving school, I did a BTEC because I didn’t have enough GCSEs, but I was successful in the BTEC and in 1995 I started my nurse training.

"My journey started in 1998 in the Trust as a newly qualified nurse," Fiona recalls. "My first job was as a Scrub Nurse for two and a half years, predominantly in the surgical directorate."

In 2003, Fiona transitioned to the Emergency Department (ED), a move that would define her career for over two decades. "I started in ED as a staff nurse and quickly progressed within 12 months to a Band 7," she shares. "I also had the opportunity to cover a training and development position and the honour of covering acting matron in 2008 for 18 months."

Her journey in ED has been marked by diverse experiences, including operational management and ward management. "My role within ED was Senior Sister, which involved lots of ward management tasks, performance-related activities, supporting KPIs, and elements of service and operational management," Fiona explains. "It was quite diverse, really."

Fiona emphasizes the importance of quality and safety in nursing, noting the significant improvements in governance and accreditation over the years. "There is a lot more focus on quality elements and safety now," she says. "The accreditation has a very good purpose because it focuses on improving quality and safety. It's not to say that didn't exist 20 years ago, but it wasn't as prevalent or monitored."

For Fiona, the Trust is more than just a workplace; it's a family. "It fits around my family, and it is like a family," she says. "There aren't many departments I don't know staff in, which makes it more appealing to be here. I'm forever grateful to Claire Tooth and Jo Allen, who gave me opportunities. Without those opportunities, I wouldn't be doing what I am doing here."

Her clinical experience as a Senior Sister has been crucial for credibility and understanding the pressures faced by staff. "You can't truly know what the problems are unless you're working in it," Fiona asserts. "For me, that's an integral part of being a Senior Sister."

Fiona's dedication to patient care is evident in her approach to enhancing the patient experience. "It's about making it a good experience and doing the best you can for them," she emphasizes. "Being compassionate, providing dignity, good communication, and being safe in whatever your practice is.

"It's self-satisfaction for me knowing that I have taken something forward and the end result is an improvement."