Page 11 - QARANC Vol 14 No 8 2014

Joint Medical Command Commendation: Capt Williamson-Green
THE GAZETTE QARANC 9
The Wing Commander PEH Thomas Memorial Trophy
It was a great honour, and surprise, to be nominated for and awarded the Wing Commander PEH Thomas Memorial Trophy at this year’s Birmingham City University Annual Health and Social Care Awards. I would like to thank WO2 Karen Race (QARANC) and Sgt Gav Barnes (RAF PTI) for the nomination, which is made when a student is considered to have excelled in mentoring and supporting fellow students. As was pointed out on the day, as a former Royal Marine, now in the Army, receiving an RAF award, this has truly embraced the brave new world of tri-service military nursing!
Wing Commander Thomas was a highly decorated pilot who served a distinguished career in the Royal Air Force. Amongst his many accolades
he taught at the RAF College Cranwel in the 1950’s where he was instrumental in introducing continual assessment as an alternative to a final exam. He also placed great importance on mentoring and supporting cadets through their training.
Many of his cadets remembered this approach to training and the positive impact it had on success rates and delivery of high quality training and the award is presented by his daughter, Mrs Jane Richards each year in order to maintain an understanding of the significance of this approach to military education.
I believe the ability to coach and mentor service personnel, not just in initial training but throughout their careers, is an important element commanders at all levels need to have
in their tool box. It is not the only way and it doesn’t work for everything or everyone, but is just another method of ensuring efficiency and getting maximum value for money out of our most important asset, the individual serviceman or woman.
Jamie Lennon Cpl
BSc Student Nurse Department of Healthcare Education
Birmingham City University
I was delighted this year to have the pleasure of accompanying Capt Williamson-Green to the Joint Medical Command Commendation awards ceremony to receive an award for her outstanding contribution to the unit. In September 2012 on return from deployment and in the absence of any other suitably qualified officer, Capt Williamson-Green, who at the time was a Lieutenant was appointed Head of Department for the military staff in the Intensive Care Unit (ITU). This appointment is usually filled by a senior Major due to the management and clinical complexities of such a specialist environment and Capt Williamson-Green commendably rose to the challenge.
It had been a difficult and turbulent time for the ITU, owing to significant deployment and absence levels. Capt Williamson- Green kept a calm approach and ably worked appropriately with the command team and amended the Military-Trust contract for ITU to a sustainable commitment; strongly supporting and protecting her junior staff. Not deterred by significant manning shortfall, Capt Williamson-Green achieved a training margin for interested Registered Nurses to have a supervised placement in, pending specialist recommendation, for the pinch point ITU cadre. She also volunteered to co- ordinate and deliver the Manchester Care Pathway Teaching for the Preceptorship nurses, significantly developing their clinical capability. In this challenging role Capt Williamson- Green flourished and despite not being a specialist ITU nurse herself she succeeded where many of her counterparts would have struggled. With limited spare capacity from her clinical challenges, Capt Williamson-Green also made an impressive contribution to the Regimental Team. She planned, organised and delivered an outstanding Inter-Regimental Team Athletics
competition. In the absence of the unit PTI, her command and control of the event was superb, with meticulous attention to detail, producing a polished result.
Capt Williamson-Green performed her duties in exceptionally difficult circumstances and achieved considerably more than her Terms of Reference and peers of the same rank and as a Lieutenant operated most effectively far above her rank. She made a significant contribution and difference to operational output of the Unit and in doing so has earned the greatest respect of her peers and the ITU cadre is very deserving of her recognition and being awarded a Joint Medical Command Commendation.
Lt Col Grieves RRC, 2IC/OCN, MDHU FP