The Post: Clinical Audit and Informatics Manager, Kingsbridge Private Hospital, Belfast
The Post Holder: Grace McEvoy
A career in nursing has been a lifelong dream for Grace McEvoy.
Give a brief outline of your career to date.
After completing my Degree in Nursing at Edinburgh Napier University in 2019 I worked in the cardio thoracic high dependency unit in NHS Lothian for two years before the unit functioned as a General ICU during the Covid pandemic. This was hugely challenging time but really built my resilience. While working I also studied for my Master of Science in Healthcare Management which I passed with Distinction. My devotion to nursing was equal to my desire to elevate my understanding of how the overall health system functioned including clinical governance, leadership and finance, human resource management and the wider sphere of international health and social care systems.
In 2021 I made the move back to Northern Ireland and joined Kingsbridge Private Hospital in Belfast, starting in the Recovery Unit where I thrived within the methodical environment – very much like the strict processes in the ICU.
After two years, I was appointed Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Nurse where I was responsible for advancing the service as the first standalone IPC Nurse for Kingsbridge in Belfast. During that time, I also studied for my Postgraduate Diploma in Infection Prevention and Control Nursing. Initially the IPC role developed quickly into advancing our auditing standards to ensure we were collecting the correct data to provide more meaningful information which I really enjoyed. KPHB advertised the role of Clinical audit and informatics manager and of course I applied. I was successful and started the role in July 2024.
What was your favourite subject in school?
I loved science and maths.
Did you go on to further/higher education? What did you study and where?
After completing my A-levels I took a year out and studied an additional A-level in Psychology before enrolling at Edinburgh Napier University where I undertook a three-year Nursing degree for which I received the Edinburgh Napier University Medal. As I undertook my first post as a qualified staff nurse, I enrolled in a Master of Science in Healthcare Management programme at Edinburgh Napier University which I graduated with Distinction in 2021. Most recently I graduated with First Class Honours from the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland in a Postgraduate Diploma in Infection Prevention and Control Nursing. I was further awarded the Sustainability Award for this Postgraduate Diploma, an award given to the student who places first amongst all Clinical Specialist Postgraduate Diploma programmes.
How did you get into your area of work?
My mum was a nurse and whenever I got the chance, I used to visit her at work and watch her practice. I was fascinated with every aspect of her job and knew from an early age that this was what I wanted to do.
Is this what you always wanted to do?
Absolutely! I can honestly say that this is my dream job. I love nursing but have also always had an analytical mind so having a role that allows me to use both my clinical and informative skills is like winning the lottery. I have a real passion for quality improvement, working across all disciplines to establish policies and procedures, to constantly improve standards in patient care. Gathering both quantitative and qualitative information from patient questionnaires allows Kingsbridge to monitor performance on an ongoing basis allowing us to constantly strive to be first class in every treatment and service we offer.
What are the main personal skills your job requires?
Communication in this role is key, as the data I aim to collect and analyse comes from varied sources across the multi-disciplinary team.
Why is what you do important?
My input helps to consistently raise standards by using patient feedback and data and performance of our KPIs to further enhance excellence in levels of delivery of our healthcare services. As an in-house expert resource available to all clinicians and non-clinical staff my aim is to educate and enthuse our quality and achievements. By crafting reports for my colleagues that are easily interpreted, tailored to each individual discipline and area of work within the hospital I can ensure that everyone sees the value in what they are doing while using data from patients to drive world class standards in our day-to-day care for patients.
Keep up to date with the latest news and views on the NI job market and more by following the nijobfinder blog.
Follow nijobfinder on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to see the latest jobs and to ensure your dream job won’t pass you by.