Posted 23 November 2020 - 12:28
Posted 23 November 2020 - 12:28
News
Trailblazing midwife appointed to chief nurse role
Gloria Rowland, UK’s first black African director of midwifery, takes south west London role
Gloria Rowland, UK’s first black African director of midwifery, takes south west London role
A trailblazing nurse and midwife has been appointed as chief nurse for the NHS in south west London.
Gloria Rowland was previously director of midwifery for the country’s largest maternity service, at Barts Health NHS Trust, and has been recognised by the Care Quality Commission for her ‘outstanding practice’ and leadership in improving midwifery services.
Dr Rowland was also recently announced as one of the first council associates at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and will take up this new role on 1 January 2021.
The council launched the associate scheme this year to provide opportunities for individuals to develop the skills and expertise needed to serve at senior national board level. Those in post will contribute to the NMC's work in a similar way to appointed members but will not vote on decisions.
National awards for her work in transforming maternity care
Dr Rowland trained as a registered nurse and midwife in Nigeria, before continuing her nursing career in the UK, where she has gained a BSc in midwifery, a Master’s as a community public health specialist practitioner and a doctorate in clinical practice.
Commenting on her appointment as chief nurse, Dr Rowland said: ‘I’m very pleased to be joining south west London as the chief nurse. I’m looking forward to working with colleagues to strengthen professional nursing leadership across the system and to help improve services and health outcomes for the people we care for.’
Both a Mary Seacole and a Florence Nightingale scholar, Dr Rowland has won many national awards for her work in transforming maternity care, including chairing the group that developed the new midwifery standard and apprenticeship pathway entrance into the midwifery profession.
Appointed to national adviser group on COVID-19 pandemic
She was the first black African director of midwifery in UK maternity services, and has also been appointed by England’s chief nursing officer Ruth May to the national adviser group in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Rowland will take up the position of chief nurse at both South West London Health and Care Partnership and South West London Clinical Commissioning Group from early January 2021.
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