Paula Shobbrook Master of Science degree in Nursing
Chief Nurse at Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust
Hi, I'm Paula Shobbrook and I studied Master of Science degree in Nursing within Health Sciences at the University of Southampton.
Paula trained as a Registered General Nurse (RGN) at the University of Southampton, then returned to complete her Diploma in Nursing, Bachelor of Nursing Studies and take a Master of Science degree in Nursing.
Her career has had its dramatic side. “While I was on placement in a paediatric unit, one night a fire broke out. Together with the nursing staff and a fellow student, we had to evacuate children and babies from four wards and lead them to safety. Thankfully, no-one was hurt. But it made me very careful about fire precautions ever since.”
Paula entered the profession after volunteering for the Red Cross as a youngster. A colleague at the charity recommended Southampton as a good place to study and she made good friends on her course. She worked as a staff nurse at Southampton General Hospital and became a Sister on a medical ward, which was a post she thoroughly enjoyed.
Her first step into health management came when she became clinical services manager at a Primary Care Group, the forerunner of Primary Care Trusts. “This move enabled me to see how the NHS operated – a particularly interesting time as it was changing under a reorganisation of the health service.”
Paula moved back to Southampton University Hospitals HNS Trust as part of a transformation team looking at new innovations in healthcare. “I worked with GPs, consultants, nurses and finance teams; our Director of Transformation came from outside the NHS and it was interesting to see his approach and how systems could be improved,” she says.
Paula joined the Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust in 2002 as Deputy Director of Nursing and became Chief Nurse in 2008. Her time at Winchester has been characterised by a relentless drive to have safety and quality at the top of the Trust’s agenda.
Overhauling clinical governance systems, adopting a ‘no blame’ culture and embedding a commitment to learn from clinical incidents and complaints has helped the Trust achieve many key success, such as low mortality rates, exceptionally low infection rates and nationally recognised quality and safety standards for acute and maternity care (now both at NHS LA level 2).
Paula works with colleagues across the Trust and at all levels to improve the patients’ experience and provide a service that is regularly praised by patients and healthcare professionals from other organisations.