Janet Dodd stepped into her role as a Chief Nursing Information Officer (CNIO) at Sheffield Children’s Hospital in September 2024, becoming the very first person to hold this position at her hospital. Her journey to this point has been diverse and rich with experience. Before becoming CNIO, Janet served as the Matron for Digital and spent many years as a neonatal nurse. She also managed a surgical ward for just under eight years, gaining extensive hands-on nursing experience.

CareFlow Medicine Management at Sheffield Children’s Hospital

In 2023 Janet led the rollout of CareFlow Medicine’s Management (CMM) across all main inpatient sites at Sheffield Children’s Hospital. The implementation began in March with the neurology/neurosurgery unit as an early adopter ward and continued in September with theatres, theatre admissions, surgical and medical wards, and the acute admission unit. In March 2024 they included the oncology unit and then in September PICU and HDU.

This transition to electronic prescribing marked a significant advancement for the trust.

However, the journey was not without its challenges. Janet noted that staff were already busy and that changing from paper to digital required a shift in mindset, knowing that they had to get communication and engagement right. They knew that sending emails, providing training videos and even face to face training would only give a taster of the system functionality.

To address this, Janet and her team made the decision that they would give everyone full face to face training again in real patient context as they were prescribing and administrating for our children and young people. To do this they needed to ensure that they were visible across the clinical areas 7 days a week with the main team covering 7am – 11pm and superusers offering additional support overnight.

The rollout also coincided with industrial action by doctors, which initially seemed like a setback. However, Janet saw it as an opportunity for consultants to engage more with prescribing, turning a potential challenge into a positive experience.

Speaking at Digital Health Rewired

Reflecting on her favourite moments of 2024, Janet highlighted speaking at the Rewired conference as a significant achievement. It was her first major conference, and despite initial nerves, she found the experience rewarding and is already signed up for the next one in 2025.

“In this engaging session, Janet will delve into the complexities of designing solutions for children—whose needs often surpass those of adults. She will explore the critical intersection of paediatric care and digital innovation and uncover how these tailored approaches can transform care across all age groups.

Hear about the unique challenges faced in paediatric healthcare – from implementing Martha’s Rule to the challenge of ceiling dose for children in electronic prescribing. Discover how designing for the most complex population not only enhances paediatric care but also leads to better outcomes for patients.”

Another highlight was her appointment as CNIO, a role she feels privileged to hold and is excited to develop further. Janet’s favourite aspect of her CNIO role is the expanded knowledge and collaboration it brings. Moving beyond the acute site to include community and mental health services. She appreciates the supportive environment in digital health, where collaboration and learning from other trusts are encouraged. This network of support is something she believes could benefit clinical roles as well.

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead to 2025, Janet is focused on implementing the inpatient record system, Clinical Narrative. Her goal is to ensure it is fit for purpose, maximises patient outcomes, and minimises the burden on staff. She aims to make the system multidisciplinary, reducing repetition and encouraging better communication and collaboration. The positive feedback from ward managers eager to pilot the system has been encouraging. Janet also shared she is particularly excited about the potential of AI in healthcare and the long-term advantages of digital systems.

Janet’s Advice to Others

For aspiring clinicians who want to become a CNIO, Janet’s advice is to never turn down an opportunity. She emphasises the importance of transferable skills and bridging the gap between clinical staff, IT staff, and system providers. Passion for making change and seeing the benefits of digital systems are key to succeeding in this role.

Next Steps

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