Flexible leadership

Director of nursing at NHS England and Queen’s Institute fellow Ruth Holt is from a family of doctors and nurses. She has been working with the chief nurse for the north of England in the delivery of a series of healthcare projects.

Why did you become a nurse?

I come from a long line of nurses and doctors so, for me, this was a natural step. I don’t recall considering anything other than the caring professions. I was at school when my mother, who was a theatre nurse, passed away, but I would like to think she would be proud of my achievements as a nurse. I would love to have shared my experiences with her

I enjoy the management aspects of my post and working with a wide variety of people, so I might well have moved into the charity sector. I also have a passion for cooking and would like to run a restaurant sourcing local and natural produce.

I will probably have retired and I would like to feel I have made a positive contribution to the lives of patients and nurses.

There isn’t a single individual who inspires me. My father was a consultant rheumatologist and had a significant influence on my life and career. He loved his career and balanced clinical work and teaching, and he always saw the importance of viewing patients as individuals. I am also fortunate to have some inspirational colleagues who are directors of nursing; I value the conversations I have with them and the support we give each other. I often take inspiration from those who are passionate about what they do and turn ideas into big changes.

I am proudest of having received a fellowship from the Queen’s Nursing Institute. My clinical practice has been largely in the community and it is great that I can still maintain my links with community colleagues.

Vision and the ability to develop and communicate it. Strong values and tenacity. A leader needs to be visible and to listen to those they work with, and to lead and ensure he or she understands, supports and develops them.

Rapid change in how care is delivered and difficulties in recruiting nurses and midwives. We need to think about how we train and support staff in different ways, and then develop and use our new strategy for nurses, midwives and care staff to help provide direction. We will see greater scrutiny of our services and a requirement for more evidence that we are delivering to required standards.