Two Sirona nurses in Bath who have pioneered a service helping pregnant women with extreme sickness have been shortlisted for a prestigious national award.
IV Therapy nurses Emma Moxham and Kim Bushill have developed the service for Sirona to help women diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG).
The condition hit the headlines when the Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to hospital in the early stages of her pregnancy with Prince George.
Until Emma and Kim introduced the service giving intravenous fluids at home, the rare illness during pregnancy led to women being frequently admitted to hospital as they dehydrated.
The pair, who work across Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire for Sirona, a not-for-profit social enterprise, are thrilled to be finalists in the Nursing in the Community section of the Nursing Times Awards.
More than 700 entries were received for the awards with the shortlist announced today – June 25 – and the winner revealed at a ceremony in London in October.
Emma said: “It’s very rare for HG to last through a pregnancy until a baby is born; for most women it continues until 20-24 weeks but we have cared for women for whom HG has stayed with them until the baby arrives.
“We experience the journey with the women we meet so we become experienced in the condition from their experience. It’s the patients themselves who are facilitating ourknowledge. This condition isn’t about the baby it’s about the woman.
“I think Kim and I feel privileged to deliver the service; we are able to tailor the service to our patients which is the ethos of Sirona and supports our nursing ethics.”
Kim added: “We are really excited to be one of the finalists out of 700 entries. It is given us a real boost to have this service recognised for the work we have been doing.”
Simon Knighton, Sirona’s Chairman, said: “I am immensely proud of this service. When it was started by Emma two years ago, I presented her with the Chairman’s Award for Innovation because she convinced me of the potential for this service to make a real difference to the lives of many people.
“I am so glad it is now getting the recognition it deserves through the sheer hard work and dedication of both Emma and Kim. I am keeping my fingers crossed for the national results.”
