Chair’s Report
NICKY SCOTT, CHAIR
PEGASUS HEALTH NURSE MEMBERSHIP LTD
From L-R: Jeanette Hight; Jeanette Banks; Nicky Scott; Gill Currie.
In the last 12 months, we have taken a more strategic approach to engaging with current and future Pegasus Health nurse members. I’d like to thank Pegasus Health Communications Manager Georgina Hunter for her assistance in developing this strategic path and delivering a number of initiatives to make our communications more efficient and effective.
The first step was to recognise that people naturally want to have different levels of engagement – some want to gain as much as possible from their membership, while others want to belong but don’t have large amounts of time to commit to it. We also have nurses from different generations, who like to engage in different ways.
We then undertook an independent survey of members to ask them what they would like to receive from their membership and if there were any barriers to becoming a member. Overwhelmingly, the response was that nurses wanted to be better connected with each other and the Pegasus Health Nurse Membership Board.
As a result, we have started producing a monthly e-newsletter and have developed a members’ website which includes an online discussion forum. Members can use the forum to start conversations and ask questions. It also allows users to email each other. For example, members might want to connect with others who work locally or who have similar clinical interests. The new website offers a wealth of General Practice resources, based on what members told us they wanted.
I would like to thank the Pegasus Health Charitable Board, Vince Barry and Michael McIlhone for their support and granting us the funding to plan and implement this strategic approach to our communications. We have needed to do this work for some time but are very mindful of Pegasus’ charitable status and the many competing demands that always exist for Pegasus funding.
In March 2016, we held our annual showcase which provided an opportunity for members to come together to share ideas, innovations and any issues they had been experiencing in their daily work. This year’s keynote speaker was Dr Greg Hamilton, from Canterbury District Health Board’s Planning and Funding team, who spoke about the health system as a whole. This gave members an overview of where General Practice nursing fits within the big picture. The difficulty of accessing locum nurses was also discussed at the showcase. This issue has also been acknowledged by the Charitable Board and a review process is underway to see what can be done to support nurse and GP members. The feasibility of a service that would arrange locums is part of the review.
This year, Ronnie Ellis retired from the Pegasus Health Nurse Membership Board and we had Jeanette Hight join us. Ronnie, who had been part of the Board since its inception, is a great strategic thinker and was very much admired by the team. At her retirement, we heard that she also has a beautiful singing voice, which she has used to calm babies when they receive their immunisations. We are very grateful for the contribution she made over many years. We feel privileged to have had Jeanette Hight join us. Jeanette is a current small group leader in the Pegasus education programme. She has brought a wealth of skills to the team and her experience and knowledge are making a noticeable contribution to nursing practise.
We are gearing up for a membership drive in the 2016/17 year. Being a Pegasus Health nurse member provides unique opportunities to hear from colleagues about their innovations and to share experiences for the benefit of others. It offers a pathway for Pegasus practice members to grow their leadership potential right through to director roles. It also gives members a channel to the Nurse Membership Board, through which they can raise issues and provide ideas that contribute to the growth of the nursing workforce.
Nurse membership offers a unique platform for Canterbury nurses working in General Practice to grow their leadership potential. The backing that we receive from the wider organisation is also invaluable, including the Pegasus nursing team and services such as Support Plus, which assist us in our daily work.
I would like to acknowledge and thank Pegasus Health for the development opportunities it offers the nurse membership directors. On a personal note, in my role as Chairperson, Pegasus has supported and encouraged me to acquire a range of new skills through joining the Charitable Board’s Finance, Audit and Risk Committee and attending the Institute of Directors Company Director’s fundamental five-day course.
I would also like to acknowledge and thank all the nurse members and directors for their invaluable input over the past year. Jeanette, Gill, Jeanette and I are looking forward to an exciting year ahead and will certainly be providing you with ongoing communication about nurse membership activities.