Michelle Samson

Michelle Samson started in 1994 with Care of the Elderly Admissions before she went on an Oncology Ward where she developed skills in caring for patients with cancer. During these years, Samson was mentoring and assessing students and healthcare assistants, doing regular informal teaching. The next role included delivering a high standard of holistic care to people with cancer, which enabled her to develop her communication, management and leadership skills. She also started to participate in audits and became interested in changing aspects of the service delivery on the ward. In 2001 Samson was responsible for the professional development of the nursing team and regularly held teaching sessions/days as well as informal teaching for nurses, students, AHP’s and doctors. Samson was a role model for the nurses and worked in a multi-disciplinary team. In 2007 she was the lung cancer nurse specialist for the trust and was the key worker and responsible for ensuring all patients get a cancer diagnosis in a timely manner. Setting up the acute oncology service at North Bristol NHS trust in 2013, working closely with the Emergency department, the acute assessment units and the haematologists and oncologists as well as acute oncology education for community staff including paramedics.

Within the deputy divisional director of nursing role, Michelle Samson developed her leadership and management skills and has been involved in skill mix reviews, managing complex HR issues, devising and supporting a complaints recovery plan as well as the daily operational issues of maintain safety during times of organisational pressures between 2019 and 2022. Since May 2022 Michelle Samson has been the trust advanced practice lead, this role is very exciting and allows her to provide frameworks and governance for advanced practice roles with North Bristol NHS Trust. She has developed a working party, steering group that feeds into the multi-professional group.