"NHS Change Day"

As part of NHS Change Day, I approached our Trust Chief Nurse about making a pledge or perhaps doing something in our organisation.

The outcome was that we decided we would publish a special edition of the Chief Nurse Update to publicise the event and encourage staff across the Trust to make a pledge. We wanted to tie this in to a local programme (listening into action), aimed at empowering staff to make a difference, so we published criteria aimed at giving staff permission in advance to just make the change.

The criteria was simple, if it impacted anyone else there had to be consensus, it needed to be cost-neutral and it needed to fit with the Trust objectives. If it met all three, then no permission was needed.

We also asked that staff tell us what they had pledged, not for reasons of control, but so that we could be true to our intent of linking in with our Listening into Action programme. By telling us what they have done or want to do, we can look for ways to include them in the Listening into Action programme as a way of celebrating the changes they have made or supporting the good ideas they have.

Because we have used NHS Change Day to stimulate more ideas, this is something we expect to progress and build on, it isn't a 1 day wonder.

So it's early hours yet, but we have been contacted by a few people regarding their pledge and I'm looking forward to hearing from more staff as we go along.