Nurse appointed as clinical director for children’s charity
Katie Stevens has been announced as the new director of clinical services at a charity providing care to children in the South East of England with serious or life-limiting conditions.
The charity Demelza, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, provides clinical, emotional and practical support to families throughout Kent, South East London and East Sussex.
“Katie’s passion for training, upskilling staff and focusing on retention will be a huge benefit”
Lavinia Jarrett
Its specialist nursing and care teams provide advice on complex symptoms and medication regimes at home, online, at school and in local communities or in the charity’s hospices.
Ms Stevens started her nursing career at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, after registering as a children’s nurse in 1997.
A move to the paediatric high-dependency unit at the Royal Brompton Hospital followed, leading to a career focus on caring holistically for children with complex medical needs and their families.
She joined Demelza in 2002 as a children’s palliative care nurse and stayed in that role for 11 years before becoming a nursing lecturer at Canterbury Christchurch University.
She returned to Demelza in 2019 as clinical governance and quality lead nurse and has remained in leadership positions at the charity since then.
In 2020, Ms Stevens gained a master’s degree in professional practice in children’s palliative care.
Commenting on her latest appointment, Ms Stevens said: “I am very proud to work for Demelza and honoured to take on this role, leading an impressive clinical services team made up of nursing and care, family support and service development teams.”
Lavinia Jarrett, chief executive at Demelza, added: “I’m delighted we have appointed Katie as our new director of clinical services.
“She brings a wealth of experience from the children’s palliative care sector and is dedicated to working directly with children, young people and their families.
“Katie’s passion for training, upskilling staff and focusing on retention – especially as the sector is facing ongoing challenges in nurse recruitment – will be a huge benefit,” she said.
