Two nurses at the RUH are waiting to find out whether they have won a national competition, which could see them as winners of Nurse of the Year.
Senior Charge Nurse Simon Andrews and Junior Sister Lisa Brown have both been shortlisted for the Nursing Standard Nurse Awards, which are acknowledged as the most prestigious accolade for recognising and rewarding excellence in nursing.
Simon and Lisa have successfully made it through to the second round, shortlisted from hundreds of candidates, to be one of just two to be interviewed in their particular category. They made a presentation to a panel of judges, which included representatives from Nursing Standard and clinical experts within their category field. The winners will be announced at the Nursing Standard Awards ceremony in March.
The staff were nominated by their manager, Matron Julie Stone, for their dedication and commitment to improving the care and treatment of their patients.
Julie says: “The awards offer a unique opportunity for individuals and teams to be identified for their achievements, to promote best practice and to share important innovations within nursing.”
There are nine categories covering all aspects of care. Simon is nominated for the Ward Sister Award, which recognises outstanding ward leaders who excel in delivering safe, high quality patient care.
“Simon has successfully joined two wards together to become one trauma unit; uniting two teams who worked very differently with his innovative ideas and ways of working. He has introduced a series of initiatives to enhance patient safety and patient care – his sole aim is to achieve a gold standard patient experience – whilst also caring for staff.“
Lisa is nominated for the Professional Forums General Award which is given to a nurse (or healthcare assistant) who has developed nursing policy and/or practice in their specialty area.
“Lisa introduced the ‘Think Pink’ initiative; a system to deliver care that supports the reduction of healthcare acquired pressure ulcers. The initiative is widely used across the RUH and has also been discussed by the innovation institute in this country and in the USA.
When asked how they felt about being put forward for the Awards, Simon said: “I’m a bit shocked, but obviously really pleased to be nominated. It’s nice to feel so valued and to be recognised in such a way.” Lisa said: “I’m very proud to have been nominated, but still can’t quite believe it, it’s amazing and I hope I do the RUH and my team proud.”
Winners in each category will win £1,000 prize money and they would win another £2,000 if they win the overall Nurse of the Year Award.
Julie says: “We’re all on tenterhooks at the moment and we’re keeping everything crossed that Simon or Lisa will be successful. They are already winners in our eyes.“
