ITU matron at Wexham Park, Ruramai Chidzambwa, has embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity after being awarded a place on the Florence Nightingale Foundation’s (FNF) Leadership scholarship.  

The FNF’s leadership programmes are only awarded to a small number of nurses or midwives in England each year and are described as ‘transformational’ by those selected to attend. 

Ruramai began her career as a band 5 nurse at Wexham Park in 2002 and worked her way up to the role of matron, leading a team of 56 nurses and health care assistants in the intensive care unit.  

Ruramai started the leadership scholarship last month and as part of the programme will follow an in-depth personal development plan for 12 months on her chosen area of special interest, ‘supporting health care workers with managing expectations of patients and relatives’. She is assigned an experienced mentor to help tin all aspects of nursing leadership and will also do a shift shadowing NHSE chief nursing officer Ruth May. 

Ruramai said: “I’m really grateful to be among a few nurses who have been nominated to join the Florence Nightingale fellowship. As a senior nurse, I am honoured to have the responsibility to guide the provision of care in a safe and welcoming environment for staff and for all patients within my department.  

“My aspiration as an FNF fellow is to influence policy in how healthcare organisations can protect staff from emotional injury that results from dealing with conflict between patient families and healthcare professionals. “