Chief matron driving up standards in healthcare

Jul 4 2008 by Karen Wilson, The Journal

THINK of nursing back in the 1940s and 1950s and you’ll probably get an image of a matron running hospital wards with military precision.

The old matrons were phased out in 1967 but Modern Matrons were brought back to Northumbria Healthcare in 2004 and once again perform a vital role in ensuring patients receive the best possible care.

The trust now has 24 Matrons working across its ten hospitals and has recently appointed its first Chief Matron, Elaine Henderson, who works across medicine and emergency care. She will shortly be joined by another Chief Matron who will oversee the surgical side of healthcare within the trust.

Just as with the old matrons, the matrons of today are a highly visible presence on the trust’s wards so that patients can easily identify who is in charge and who they can turn to if they have a problem.

Making sure the wards are clean, safe and running smoothly is all in a days’ work and ensures the patients’ needs are being met. Many matrons oversee more than more ward or department to ensure that all areas of the hospitals are covered.

Unlike the image of old matrons being terrifying figures, the modern matrons are approachable both for patients and staff alike. It is still their job to ensure high standards are met, but with much more support and encouragement.

One of the roles the current Chief Matron carries out is to provide support and guidance to nursing staff and encourage them in their career progression.

Chief Matron Elaine Henderson explained: “Matrons play a huge role in making sure patients have a positive experience during their visit to hospital. As Chief Matron my job is to make sure that the guidance and support is there for the team to ensure that happens and that the patients are in a safe environment.”