Winner

James Ridgeway

Education and Research at LDC / Diabetes Specialist Nurse

Summary

The main reason for nominating James is the incredible difference that he has made and continues to make in all the areas of education and care described in this nomination. Quite simply he is one of the best, if not the best, that I have had the pleasure to work with and lead. This feedback is only enhanced, by his education evaluations – describing his education as powerful, and practice changing

His enthusiasm, creative mind, and unerring focus on patient centred holistic care, means that he is both challenging and supportive in his role. He challenges himself and others where necessary in areas such as language matters, and stigma and is a fabulous advocate for education, Eden, LDC and healthcare. He is always positive, and willing to go the extra mile. His contribution to HCP education, peer support and growing requests to deliver nationally highlight the brilliant educator he is.

Reason for Nomination

James joined our team at LDC in 2018, as a nurse who had worked in the community. While he was not the most experienced candidate at interview, he shone with enthusiasm and a keenness to develop in an area in which he had a profound interest, both personally and professionally.

Over time James has developed to be the most loyal, committed, and inspirational colleague and teammate to all at LDC, growing in confidence, style, knowledge, and skill.

James incorporates a full-time role as an Eden team member, an additional role as a diabetes specialist nurse in the acute trust, and in addition lives with type 1 diabetes. These combine to what is a brilliant person centred, skilled clinician and educator, with lived experience to add further value.

In his main Eden and LDC role James undertakes the following:

Face to face education across our local health patch in Leicester, Leicester shire and Rutland

Virtual education across a huge database of subscribers and course attendees

Development of education resources and programmes for HCP (Healthcare Professional) staff

Leading and development of research and servicer improvement projects to support improvements in patient care and outcomes

National and international and bespoke education programmes – as commissioned by areas around the UK (United Kingdom) and abroad

A mentoring role to HCP and AHP (Allied Health Professions) staff in primary care

Active participant and co lead on a regular clinical engagement meeting, which includes case discussions and clinical / education updates.

The entire process work from idea of a need to idea, development, PPI to assess relevance and shape programme and through to evaluation and implementation and dissemination of results.

Leadership and mentor / buddy to new educators and members of staff across the service

In his DSN (Diabetes Specialist Nurse) role James undertakes the following:

Clinical case load and management of new and ongoing patients in an inpatient setting

A passion for education – both formal and informal to support and improve patient care.

In addition to these roles James also – as a volunteer – in his limited spare time – set up a peer support group approximately 15 months ago, after discussion with the head of clinical service. This peer support group started small for patients using Omnipod pumps has grown and is an incredibly successful large self-supporting peer support group.

The pod peer group started out with 4 attending and has grown to over 50 participants, attending online and virtually. There is a rolling programme of education and events, organised by James in addition to an incredibly supportive what’s app community. This initiative, run in his spare time, for free, has been written in papers, journals, and posters to date. The programme has been evaluated as part of an ongoing piece of work and psychological scores and feedback has been significant. Members say it is the lifeline they dint know they needed, and that the support has been life changing, as a subsequent development to this, James and the team have been invited to run a national peer support champions programme, through a small insulet research grant. In two months, they have reached their recruitment target of 50 champions, all keen to initiate peer support in their own area of the UK, spreading great innovative sustainable practice further.