Every single nomination is fantastic, but there can only be one winner for each category.
As part of the judging process, members of our committee review every single nomination and make a shortlist for each category, and we are excited to share this list with you!
Junior Nurse of the Year Award:
Rebecca Ainscough
Works at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Since qualifying Becky has worked on CAU and has flourished into an amazing nurse, when I see she is on shift I know it will be a good day. She is forever hardworking, and will do anything to support her colleagues. She is always willing and wanting to learn, in developing further. Becky is now truly a fantastic CAU nurse, able to make quick, succinct and accurate patient triages/assessment, helping to identify and manage sick children. Becky is always an advocate for her patients and families and will always ensure their voices are heard. She thrives to providing the highest standard of care to her patients. She is an asset to the team and should be very proud of how far she has come since qualifying.
Since qualifying last year Becky has grown with such confidence within her role on CAU. She is one of the most compassionate and caring nurses I know, advocating for the children she cares for and their families ensuring the receive gold standard care.
Becky has continued to enhance her knowledge & skills, becoming Triage trained and grasps every learning opportunity with both hands. Becky is such a supportive & valued member of the CAU team, nothing is much, she is always there with a listening ear to whoever needs it and will always do anything she can to help anyone!
Working with her is like working with a ray of sunshine, she is smiley, positive and has a can so attitude which makes your shifts that bit brighter. It’s a privilege to work with her.
Since qualifying last year Becky has grown with such confidence within her role on CAU, she is one of the most compassionate and caring nurses I know. Over the past year Becky has continued to enhance her knowledge and skills, she has become Triage trained, and grasps every learning opportunity that she can.
Eleanor Bouchard
Works at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
El is such an amazing nurse, having started on Bramble only a year ago, she has settled into the team like she has always been there. She truly is a breath of fresh air. El Gives her all to her role, going above and beyond for the team, patients and families. El has such a positive attitude, with a friendly smile and is suited to be a nurse, with outstanding communication and compassionate understanding for the patients that we see. She is always advocating for the best care for her patients. El has taken her own progression with dedication and is always seeking new opportunities to better herself but has no qualms in sharing her knowledge and experience with students and peers. I love working alongside El and seeing how she progressed in such a short time.
Lovely El has absolutely flourished in the last year. I have had the pleasure of watching her grow from a newly qualified nurse, to a very competent and conscientious nurse. El has grown in confidence throughout the year, developing skills and ensuring she seeks support when needed. She has looked after very poorly children with the expertise of someone qualified much longer. If she is unhappy with anything, she will seek support and has ensured she reflects on patients and scenarios, including meeting a consultant to discuss care given and ensure she learns from every situation. El is a wonderful team player, supporting those around her. Patients and families adore her and I have never heard a bad word said about her. I have had the pleasure of El being my preceptee…..well what an easy job that is! She is now moving on to support other neely qualifieds and act as a role model and I could not be more proud and know she will provide wonderful support. I will enjoy watching El progress and look forward to seeing the nurse she will one day become.
El where to start, you have been in bramble for just over a year now although it feels you have been here for a lot longer. You are a team player, and an asset to bramble. You are fab with your patients, always giving your all and not stopping until you have given 110%. El works well within the multidisciplinary team and ensures to advocate for her patients to better the care for them. She is so compassionate to do her best within her job. Not only is she fab with her patients but she is also a loyal colleague who will always give a helping hand if needed. The shift is automatically better knowing that El is on. Thank you for all you do, keep it up.
El is an incredible junior nurse! She has been qualified for over a year, and is a massive credit to Bramble. I love working with El, whether that be on Bramble ward, or when we are required to support another ward, I know El will always be there to support me no matter where we are. El is confident in seeking out opportunities, and pushes herself to develop her own learning and practice. When El and I are assigned the same patient with myself as a HCA she ensures she checks I am also happy with the daily plan, she communicates effectively. El is confident in escalating cares for her patients, she ensures their families are always kept up to date, and also escalates any cares that are required.
El, you’re an absolute pleasure to work with, I am so happy to have a colleague like you!
Els is an enthusiastic member of our nursing team, who is always ready to help out and keen to learn new skills. She is a caring, cheerful nurse who always works to provide the best care for babies and their families.
Leah Dart
Works at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
Leah is a wonderful Junior Nurse showing great empathy to her patients and forever growing in her job. For Leah her main priority is always the patient and they family.
Leah is one of Brambles newly qualified nurses who started in September last year. She is a breath of fresh air. Nothing is too much trouble for her. Leah is a great advocate for patients and families and always ensure a professional relationship, whilst also being a happy, friendly face. Being a newly qualified can be tricky to find the balance when faced with complex patients on the ward, but Leah manages this well. Leah manages to juggle her case loads whilst also showing amazing communication with MDTs and everyone knows who Leah is, as she is so approachable, friendly member of the team. Leah always shows great commitment and compassion within her role. She strives to put the best interests of the child and their families first and will seek advice when required. Leah is a great support to other junior members of staff and one who have been a staple on the ward for many years. Leah pushes herself with her own progression and is proactive in attending study days to become more competent in a variety of skills. Leah has the capacity to manage her workload while helping others with theirs to enable ongoing continuous development of knowledge, skills and abilities to improve the quality of patient care, safety, compassion and experiences. Well done Leah, it lovely working with you.
Leah is one of our wonderful newly qualified nurses on Bramble. Leah is an absolute pleasure to work with. She goes above and beyond for her patients, families and colleagues. She always has the best interests of the patient and is a brilliant advocate for them.
She is a valued member of the team, she is always so happy and smiley and willing to help anyone. You know it is going to be a good shift if Leah is on.
Throughout my time working with Leah, I have been amazed at her extremely high levels of knowledge and skill which exceeds her level of experience. Leah’s empathy and care for patients comes naturally to her, allowing her to connect and support patients throughout their treatment journey. In her first year qualified, Leah has already encountered some challenging and complicated circumstances which she has managed with professionalism, expertise, and confidence. Leah is a fantastic patient advocate who doesn’t hesitate to challenge decision-makers to make sure patients receive the care they need. She consistently seeks to improve her practice and works to the highest standards. Leah is a huge asset to the team and I am excited to see how she progresses in her career.
Leah is such a fantastic nurse. She cares so much about her patients. She is regularly going out of her way to chat with long term patients and parents because she genuinely cares about them, and wants to make their stay in hospital as positive as possible. Her patients come first, always, and she will advocate for them whenever needed. She makes sure her patients receive a great level of care, and nothing is too much to ask of Leah – she will always help out her patients as families as much as she can, as well as helping out her colleagues. She works so well within the team and is such a fantastic asset to have working alongside on Bramble. She has just finished her first year qualified, but it feels as though she has been qualified much longer than that. She is confident in her abilities and will escalate care when needed, and she is constantly keen to learn new things. She is already booked on to the HDU course in Bristol because she is keen to improve her nursing skills to be able to provide better care for her patients. She is super positive and upbeat, always smiling, and you know you are going to have a good shift when you’re working alongside Leah!
Leah is one of Bramble’s junior nurses but you wouldn’t know it. Leah is an expectational nurse and has knowledge and skills above her years qualified. Leah always acts as an advocate for her patients and families but has proven she does with a challenging situation going above and beyond. You always offer to help and support all of your nursing colleagues no matter what is going on within your own workload. You are exceptional with all patients under all different specialities. You are always expanding your skills and knowledge and are due to attend your HDU course at the beginning of next year. You always go above and beyond and its absolutely admirable. You are an outstanding nurse Leah!
Leah is amazing! She always goes above and beyond for her patients. She is kind, approachable and empathetic. You would not know that she was newly qualified because she is so incredibly competent, confident, and is thriving! She works well within the MDT and is not afraid to voice her concerns and advocate for her patients. She is an absolute pleasure to work with and I wish her all the best in her future career.
Leah is an incredibly kind and hard working nurse. She advocates for the children in her care and often stays late to ensure everything is handed over. I would be happy for her to look after any member of my family. Leah is a lovely person to work with, she communicates well with the resident doctors and escalates appropriately. Leah is keen to lean and wants to reflect on every good and not so good experience. She is supportive of others and a truly lovely person.
Leah always brightens any shift. She is so friendly and approachable and is amazing with her patients. She is very keen to learn and will always ask the medical team interesting questions to improve her knowledge. I love working with her on Bramble and PAU as know I have a safe and enthusiastic nurse supporting me.
Leah has been with us just over a year but you wouldn’t think so. She is an amazing asset to the team with a huge amount of knowledge. She always strives to learn more and jumps at any learning opportunities such as attending resus/emergency situations and having interest in courses that become available to nursing staff such as the HDU course. Patients and families lover her and always have a good thing to say about her. We have one shift together where we looked after an unwell patient in resus and she did amazing despite being in an emergency situation she stayed calm and showed the greatest compassion to this child and family. Keep doing what you are doing Leah.
Carrie Heywood
Works at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
Carrie has been working on Bramble since newly qualified and is an amazing addition to the Bramble team. She is always happy, warm, kind and friendly. She has a calm and optimistic attitude. Carrie is a real team player and is happy to help in any way she can. Bramble is lucky to have Carrie, she is a credit to our team.
Where do I start. Carrie has been working in bramble for a year now and blimey everyone loves her. She is the kindest most loveliest nurse ever. always willing to do anything for anyone and always going above and beyond for her patients. Carrie displays good management skills with her workload each day and has great potential within her role. She effectively works well within the wider multidisciplinary team to advocate for her patients. Carrie is an asset to bramble, everyone loves working with her she is a team player and is always willing to help others despite having a busy workload herself. Carrie is everything you want in a nurse and colleague, she has good communication and listening skills. She shows compassion and kindness to the families and patients that she comes across. Carrie keep up the good work.
Been a amazing asset to the team. Very calm and professional. Excellent at caring for the critically ill children and supporting their families in a holistic manner. Always looking to improve her knowledge and practice. Manages her time well in a very busy environment. Work efficiently and effectively within the multi disciplinary team. Excellent newly qualified nurse.
I could say that Carrie goes above and beyond for all her patients, their families, and the staff she works with. Carrie puts her patients care first. She is knowledgeable in what she does. In addition, she does works in such a professional manner.
Carrie, you are an exceptional nurse. You have grown and developed as a nurse so much over the last year. You always work so hard and are constantly providing above and beyond care to your patients and their families. You’re always happy to support the bramble team in any area and are a fantastic team player. Your nursing skills have developed and you’re able to demonstrate that in the cares you provide. A fantastic nurse!
Carrie started on Bramble only a year ago and appears to have settled in with such ease. Being dual trained, there is not much Carrie can’t do. She is utterly fab. Carrie has taken to a natural leadership role which I’m not even sure she knows she is doing, as it is just effortlessly done. She is super organised, uses her initiative with working in PAU, taking referrals on the ward and is such a joy to work with. Seeing her develop over the last year has been a privilege to see. Carrie is a great team player, always happy and upbeat. Carrie advocates with ease for her patients and families and she builds professional relationships so naturally. Carrie has taken her own development in her nursing with passion and dedication to ensuring patient care and safety is a priority, attending course and ensuring that she uses her time to build on skills. Well done Carrie, it’s always a lovely shift when you’re on.
Carrie joined Bramble as a NQN in October 2023. Carrie is an amazing paediatric nurse, and is an inspiration to the students who we now have on the ward. Everyone admires and notices Carrie’s soft nature. Carrie is a huge team player, and is always there to support her team mates doing all she can. Carrie displays a huge willingness to learn, and develop in her career. Carrie manages her work loads effectively, and is never afraid to speak up or escalate a young persons care when she believes it is required.
I look forward to my shifts when Carrie is working as you know you’re going to be working with a friendly face who is happy to help you out if you need it.
Maddison Negus
Works at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Maddi joined Wildgoose last year and is a joy to work alongside. Maddi has a calm, caring, understanding and confident approach with her patients and families and puts them at the centre of her work. Maddi always has a postive attitude and a smile on her face. Maddi has an enthusiastic willingness to learn new skills and put them into practice.
Maddi is very good at supporting some of our more challenging patients and builds positive relationships with them. Sometimes when patients feel upset and stressed Maddi is able to reasure, calm and settle them. Maddi will use her voice to advocate for patients if
needed. Maddi turns up for each shift with a willingness to work hard and a strong work ethic which shows through her compassion and commitment towards the patients, their families and her colleagues.
Maddi has fitted into the Wildgoose team so quickly and learnt so fast. She is confident and works well in the team, always keen to learn, and also shows great skills of leadership.
Maddi has never faltered ever since she started working with us. She is kind, caring and empathetic, always striving to do the best she possibly can. She will always help out the ward when we need her and we know we can count on her. She is happy to give patients that bit of extra time if they are upset or just want to talk to her, she sits with them and supports them and gives any advice she can. She will always listen to families and patients and advocate for what they want and what’s best for the patients. Maddi goes above and beyond in her work and it always shows, you can go to her with any problem or question and she will try her absolute best to help you and is willing to point you in the right direction when confused. She works amazing in our team and we are so happy to have her.
Maddison is such a joy to have on the ward. She is incredibly confident and had come out of her shell so much since qualifying. Her patients love her and she advocates for every patient she cares for. She attends MDT’s and liases with professionals to provide the best care and to facilitate discharges to our complex patients.
Wow what an amazing first year of nursing, Maddi is the most caring, compassionate and knowledgeable nurse. Maddi has been proactive since day one to enhance her skills and knowledge, Maddi has been able to take these skills and apply them into practice so as to better support the ward and the team.
The patients adore Maddi and she is keen to advocate for them and their families when needed.
When I work with Maddi she is hardworking and passionate, she strives to provide evidence-based person-centred care, and she is already showing many management and leadership skills above that of a Newly qualified nurse.
With many of our patients Maddi has worked with other health and social care professionals, often needing to communicate the needs of the patient to ensure the optimal outcome.
It is always a pleasure to be on shift with Maddi, it has been a pleasure to have her as part of the Wildgoose team.
Maddi deserves to be recognised as Junior Nurse of the Year for her dedication and positive impact on both patients and colleagues. Her enthusiasm for nursing is contagious, and her commitment to providing outstanding care shines through. Maddi consistently demonstrates a proactive approach, always anticipating the needs of her team and patients, which greatly enhances the workflow on the ward.
Her friendly and can-do attitude make her a joy to work with. Maddi is passionate about opportunities to learn and grow, embracing challenges with a willingness to improve her skills and knowledge.
Furthermore, her ability to support her peers creates a positive work environment. Maddi’s combination of professionalism, teamwork, and passion for nursing makes her a standout junior nurse, and she is truly deserving of this recognition.
Lucy Ward
Works at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
Lucy is the most exceptional newly qualified nurse I have had the pleasure of working with. She has a wonderful, sunny personality and brings fun and joy to every shift she works.
Lucy is a caring and compassionate nurse, she has a fantastic attitude and is supportive for patients and colleagues alike. Lucy’s knowledge and skills are at a level far beyond that which would be expected having only qualified a year ago. She is a confident and extremely competent practitioner and constantly seeks out opportunities to better herself.
Lucy joined the ward mental health eating disorder team as a band 6 Specialist Nurse 2 months ago and has found her niche. To have reached this level in just a year is remarkable in itself. In the time she has been with us, she has worked hard to improve the service. She has created smart-phrases to ensure time is used more efficiently and promote consistency within the specialist nursing team. She has developed training packages for students, HCA’s and newly starters to ensure they are prepared to support our complex patient group. Lucy has already become confident and competent in delivering nurse led clinics and has demonstrated sound clinical judgement and intuition, particularly when managing young people with complex presentations. Lucy has worked to support patients and parents, developing comprehensive care plans. She has build good rapport with patients which has enabled them to accept care and treatment they were otherwise declining. In addition, Lucy has worked hard to support staff in managing these young people and has led debriefs and followed up staff involved in incidents with care and compassion. We are all looking forward to where Lucy will go with this role as it is evident that she is going to go on to have a remarkable career that will make a real impact in this field.
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Paediatric Junior Hero (ST1-4s, FTs, GPST and Trust SHOs):
Dr Joanna Barnden
Has been working at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
For anyone meeting Jo for the first time, it becomes pretty clear, pretty quickly, how brilliant she is – unbelievably competent and sensible, incredibly skilled, but also with such an air of humanity and kindness that it is always a joy to work a shift with her. Put simply, she is way more experienced than her grade suggests.
She will individually ask how every member of her team is doing, encouraging those who are at a low moment, and giving praise to others for all the ‘little things’ we often forget about. She can deal with tricky situations of conflicting senior opinions with compassion and infinite professionalism. She regularly gently guides new parents into what’s going on with their babies with patience and kindness, giving exactly the right amount of information every time.
In short, everyone thinks you’re fantastic, and for very good reason! Stop doubting your amazingness!
Jo is a keen, enthusiastic and hard-working paediatric trainee. She is an excellent doctor who truly cares for the wellbeing of her patient’s and colleagues.
Jo has stepped up to the Tier 2 rota in a busy NICU and, despite some nerves at this change, she has really risen to the challenge. She is a supportive senior and a safe pair of hands on NICU. She strongly advocates for the babies in her care at all times and listens to concerns from all members of the multi-disciplinary team.
She is an asset to neonatal medicine and will make a great neonatal consultant in the future.
Dr Kelly Boxall
Has been working at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
Kelly what can I say, you are an excellent doctor. Knowing that you are on shift I feel reassured that it is going to be a good shift. Nothing is ever to much for you, no matter how many times you are bleeped in the space of 5 minutes, you never stress and are always so calm which is what is needed. Your care and compassion towards the children in our care is wonderful to see despite how busy you are. You are a team player, you always ensure that not only the patients but your peers are okay. Many of your colleagues love working alongside you including myself. You are just wonderful. Kelly always strives to do more and find learning opportunities. Keep doing what you are doing
Kelly is an excellent doctor and always goes above and beyond. She’s a fantastic member of the team and always ensures her patients get the best care. Kelly always works closely within the team and supports and values her nursing colleagues. Always checking in with her colleagues and providing excellent support when needed. She demonstrates excellent interactions with all of her patients and families, listening to them and being able to communicate with patients of all ages. You are amazing Kelly!
Kelly has been an amazing asset to the paediatric team. She will always listen to nursing staff and ask us for our opinion. She is amazing with all children and parents.
Kelly is one of the most supportive junior doctors I have worked with. As a junior member of nursing staff, Kelly has always made my professional opinion feel valued and supported me so well on many occasions. She is kind, caring and patient with all families and is very approachable. Her knowledge and experience always reassures patients that they are in safe hands.
Always works with a smile, nothing is too much trouble and always happy to help.
Kelly has been heavily involved in a very significant project within the neonatal unit involving neonatal intravenous to oral antibiotic switch allowing babies to be discharged home sooner. Her role within the project was pivotal in making it happen, she developed the guideline and patient information leaflet as well as presented this regionally and nationally. Her poster presentations have been well received and the project is now well established.
Kelly has demonstrated a high degree of commitment, has put in a huge amount of time and effort to develop these resources and has made a massive contribution in getting this particular project off the ground.
Furthermore, she is a great Dr – a fantastic, reliable and clinically astute individual who has a great career ahead of her.
Kelly is an incredible doctor. An excellent communicator and team player and a complete joy to work with. So clear, calm and conscientious in her interactions with both families and staff, hugely willing to learn and takes initiative. Watching her gain in confidence over her first 6 months on our neonatal unit was a real joy and seeing her present her winning poster at the SW neonatal network conference so confidently and competently was just wonderful.
Dr Sophie Carr
Has been working at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Sophie has worked in paediatrics at RCHT as a foundation doctor and now in a clinical fellow role. I have seen her grow into a paediatrician of the future in this time and am delighted she is applying for specialty training. Sophie consistently displays both sensitivity and empathy in her approach to patient care. Her ability to connect with patients and their families, offering comfort and reassurance during stressful times, is a real strength. This is combined with strong clinical skills and a warm, likeable manner that means she is warmly regarded by the whole team. Sophie has a promising future in paediatrics and I am excited to work with her on that journey. I think her blind spot is just how good she really is, thank you for being part of our team Sophie
Dr Shanvanth Jonnalagaada
Has been working at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
You absolutely know your shift is off to a great start when you see Shan walk onto the ward. He is always smiling, and bubbly no matter what the shift throws at us. He has such a wonderful manner with all the patients and their families, taking time to really talk to them and to reassure them. His clinical knowledge and skills are exemplary, however does not over power families with information, instead keeping it simple and understandable.
When Shan is on especially at night you always feel well supported as a team, he always makes an effort to check on everyone patients and nursing staff to see if there is anything they need. He is pro-active in ensuring jobs are done and that everyone is supported.
Works hard is kind to colleagues and patients. Great knowledge and keen to learn from others or self research.
Shan is a brilliant paediatric ST2. He has a calming presence which is so well received by both staff and patients. He is diligent and an excellent team worker, going above and beyond for the children and families under his care. You can see the team ‘light up’ when he’s on duty and I completely trust his clinical assessments. He is working up to being a registrar and I have no doubts that he will thrive with the extra responsibility. It’s been a pleasure working alongside you!
Always a pleasure working with Shan, he is hardworking, keen to help, has excellent clinical skills and paediatric knowledge, always polite and caring, he has made so much progress since he started paediatric training and is always keen to learn
Shan is a well respected and valued member of the medical team & the CAU team love him!
He is caring, compassionate & shows great empathy to his patients and their families, Shan strives to ensure that his patients receive the highest standard of care.
Working with Shan is a pleasure, he always comes to work with a positive attitude and the biggest smile, he is a huge support to the nursing staff and will always listen to nursing staffs concerns or worries without hesitation. He is hard working, reliable and an excellent teacher to both medical & nursing staff.
Level 12 is lucky to have Shan 🙂
Shan is an outstanding junior doctor, everyone breathes a sigh of relief to see his name on the rota with them. He never shies away from work, and often takes on complex tasks that many people would avoid. Shan will be an absolute credit to Paediatrics.
Shan is such a supportive Doctor, he is so kind and caring, not just towards patients and parents but also to staff members. He has come in to the level 12 team and has made such good working relationships with the rest of the team. He always ensures that he spends all the time that families need to ensure they understand the ongoing plan of care and are up to date with everything. Shan always listens to the concerns of nursing staff and escalates them in a timely manner when appropriate. I really hope than Shan continues to enjoy his time with us on level 12 and eventually becomes a permanent fixture!
Shan is an absolute pleasure to work with. He is constantly checking in with his team to see if he can do anything for them and will take on more than he needs to without complaint. He always has a smile on his face and makes coming to work that bit easier. Shan is an ST2 but you often assume he is more senior due to his competence.
Dr Lalitha Sundarapandian
Has been working at Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
An asset to the Torbay paediatric team. A fantastic clinician and a truly hard worker. She is supportive of her whole team and always takes time to teach her more junior colleagues – I have learnt a lot from working with her.
Lalli entered training at ST3. It has been astonishing to see how quickly she has found her feet in the UK system, excelled clinically and engaged incredibly well with the training programme.
Lalli is consistently a delight to work with. Nothing is too much trouble. She is efficient, competent and sensible and working at a level above those of her peers and not only reflects her years of experience prior to joining training, but also her willingness and ability to learn and develop.
She is kind. She communicates beautifully with children and their families and is a valued member of the team.
Although in her first registrar post she leads a team of more junior doctors and nurses on shift and enthusiastically takes on clinical tasks and challenges.
She has breezed past some of the difficulties often faced by IMGs engaging with the portfolio system and training requirements, and has thrown herself into improvement projects, audit and teaching.
She is innovative and has developed a regular journal club as part of the departmental education programme, which has been well received and given her and her colleagues the opportunity to use their critical appraisal skills and present useful developments to the team.
Lalli is a joy and we are so pleased to be a part of her journey in Torbay.
Dr Thandar Win
Has been working at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Thandar joined our team earlier this year as an ST3. Quite frankly she is brilliant. We are all so impressed with her work – she is so knowledgeable, efficient and skilled. She always works so hard, with the best interests of the team and patients. This has been a big move for Thandar to the South West and she has integrated brilliantly with our team. The nurses think she is fantastic – which she is.
She has had some really tough shifts and her courage and strength are a testament to how good she is. Thandar is an effective decision maker with skills above her ST3 level. She has fantastic communication skills and patients and parents love her.
She is supportive to the whole team and especially junior colleagues
Keep up the brilliant work Thandar – we are lucky to have you
Thandar came to work with us from out of trust earlier this year and she has made an immense impact.
Not only is her clinical knowledge and acumen top notch but she has excellent clinical practical skills. It doesn’t matter if things are chaotic, Thandar will appear calm and collected. She is a very safe pare of hands.
She is reliable, conscientious and has slotted in well to the team. Thandar is well like by everybody who works with her.
Despite the ups and downs of the job she continues to show a smiling face, is friendly to everyone but most of all is fantastic with patients.
Thandar is keen to learn and always enthusiastic.
She has presented at a recent regional epilepsy meeting for which she received many compliments for her contribution.
Thandar absolutely deserves the Paediatric Hero award because it describes exactly who she is.
We have all loved working with her and know that she will be a success. She is an exemplary trainee and a wonderful doctor.
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Non clinical Staff of the Year Award:
Gill Etherington
Works at Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Gill works tirelessly as secretary for several consultants – but I particularly notice her hard work for the Epilepsy Service. Gill’s manner with patients and parents is calm, confident, and reassuring. She ensures effective care by close communication with the nursing and medical team, never losing her good humour, and keeping us on the right path always! We couldn’t manage without you Gill – thank you!
Cannot think of nominating any other professional than Gill. She is not only an excellent and a valued medical secretary, but she is listening, Intuitive and going the extra mile when it comes to looking after the interests of the patients.
Her typical working day is not only her own work, but also supporting her colleagues with a calm & confident presence and a smile; yet being humble to the core, whilst looking after others. An exceptional & inspiring contributor to the team!
Karen Evens
Works at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Karen is a brilliant ward clerk. She is central to everything within Wildgoose Ward, she has a fantastic relationship with all colleagues and will go above and beyond to help out the team.
Karen is fantastic. She is a valuable member of the team and goes above and beyond to help support the team with anything they need on shifts.
Karen always goes above and beyond at her role. She will always lend a helping hand to the other wards and anyone that’s needs it. She is approachable and friendly, nothing is ever too much to ask.
This wonderful human is the glue that holds Wildgoose together. She is the warm smile and bubbly personality that greets patients, families, friends and members of the MDT. Nothing is ever too much trouble for Karen and she often goes above and beyond, If we are busy Karen takes on tasks to help, this enables us concentrate on our patients and keep the ward safe. The ward and shift flows so much better when she is there, the team absolutely love her for her passion and enthusiasm for her Job. We would like to bottle Karen so we could have her on the ward 7 days a week.
Karen deserves the Non-Clinical Staff Award as Ward Manager for her exceptional dedication. She consistently demonstrates excellence in fulfilling her responsibilities, ensuring that the ward operates smoothly and efficiently, which directly enhances patient care.
Her interactions with colleagues are exemplary; Karen fosters a collaborative environment where everyone feels valued and heard.
Additionally, Karen’s organizational skills are outstanding. She meticulously plans and coordinates ward activities, ensuring that resources are allocated effectively and that procedures are followed. Her attention to detail helps maintain a high standard of care, making her a vital asset to the team and a deserving recipient of this award.
In every aspect of her role, Karen exemplifies the qualities of a great team player, making her a vital asset to the team and a deserving recipient of this award.
Always friendly, always willing to help, amazing with patients and their families.
Karen is our wonderful ward clerk, who is an essential part of our team on the ward!
The days when she isn’t working we really notice the difference!
Karen is friendly and welcoming and helps out in anyway she can!
Her interactions with staff, patients and family is excellent!
It is a joy to work with Karen!
Karen is our ward clark on wildgoose and we love having her. She is such fun to work with and always supports the staff with anything both work related and emotionally. She’s a pleasure to work with everyday.
Karen is an essential piece of wild goose ward. Always working hard and going the extra mile. Always positive and calm.
Lara King
Works at Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
I have only known Lara for a short period of time but she is incredibly dedicated to her work and keeps the Paediatric Ward (and SSPAU) running smoothly. Lara is bubbly and kind, no task is too big or small. Lara is organised and I always know she will keep me updated about clinic patients. The department is all the richer for having her as part. of the team.
Lara brings vivacity and joy with her to every single shift. She is often the first face that staff, visitors, patients and their families see when they enter Louisa Carey or SSPAU, and she is always wreathed in smiles and generous with her time.
She combines this wonderful persona with a proactive and efficient work ethic, always willing to help clinical staff and families on the ward.
She genuinely brings a ray of sunshine into the workplace, is a huge asset to the team, and we are hugely lucky to have her as one of the faces of our department.
Robin Martin
Works at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Rob Martin joined our team in a new role as Neonatal Equipment Manager. He has made such a difference to us all. He goes above and beyond to ensure the safety and efficiency of equipment is paramount.
Rob has made friends with everyone everywhere. He is interactive in all aspect of his job. He takes on a task and see the job through to completion. He is fantastic at bringing the team on board with new kit or processes.
He has set up a new digital safety check list saving hundreds of nurse hours time.
He has become cameraman and sim technician for our simulation training.
We would be lost without him now. He’s worth his weight in gold.
Heather Smith
Works at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Heather is a fantastic secretary. I have worked with her for a number of years now and i feel our working relationship goes from strength to strength. Heather is efficient more than anyone could be! she works beyond her hours to support me and my needs. Quite frankly i don’t want anyone else to do my letters or support my clinic – i hope she never leaves as i don’t know what i would do.
She is always there as a safety net with the patients best interests at heart. I know my patients also think she is fantastic as she is so approachable and responsive and they often tell me how great they think she is.
Heather has gone out of her way this year to support our developing service, even when things are challenging she has been adaptable and found a great solution. She has supported our cardiac nurse and physiologist and i know they think she is utterly brilliant!
And she even does all this with a smile, a joke or a cat video!
Elizabeth Walters
Works at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
Liz works to the highest standard, is always ready to help colleagues and is a valuable cheerful, smiley member of our team.
Absolute super star .Liz is NNU assistant in RDUH and she is dedicated completly to our team She is the most hardworking person I’ve ever known and always remains positive ,always kind
Liz is a fantastic team member, she is constantly going above and beyond with her role.
She is the back bone of the unit and without her it’s would be impossible to have such a well equipped clean unit.
The minute Liz starts her shift to the minute it’s time to go home she is constantly doing things to help others and supporting the families on the unit.
Liz is extremely hardworking and a dedicated member of staff on the unit. When she is working on the unit, she never seems to stop and everything is always tidy, stocked up and sorted when she is here.
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Healthcare and Nursing Assistant of the Year Award:
Kim Davey
Works at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
Kim is inspirational within her HCA role. She has great work ethic, pushing herself with to the best she can be. Kim is a great advocate for patients and their families, often running clinics within the out-patient department and taking a case load of patients on the ward, whilst also fulfilling the HCA role of ensuring a tidy work environment and topping up of stock to ensure timely care. Kim is taking on extra skills to do her in house TNA, in the new future and this hasn’t been without problems arising at every point., but she has stayed focused and determinate. This is proof of her dedication to Bramble and her progression. Kim is passionate about her job and promotes everything within the paediatric areas she works in. She really is a lovely, smiley, caring person and I know I have her support on any shift I work with her.
Kim is a team-player, and is willing to help in any way she can over a variety of departments. She is kind, caring and supportive to both staff and patients. She is able to support patients and their families through her vast knowledge and communication skills in order to help their physical and mental wellbeing. Kim is an amazing advocate for her patients and will always strives for the best care. Despite some challenging situations over the year, Kim always remains positive and a valued member of the team.
When I started as a new HCS in March of this year Kim took me under her wing and showed great support in every area of my new role. If I had any concerns or doubts kim was quick to offer me reassurance and continued support. During this time I felt Kim was a great role model showing a compassionate way of working making sure all the young people and their parents felt confident in the care we gave to their children.
Kim what can I say, you are just incredible. Willing to do absolutely anything within your professional limits. Always happy to help and just wonderful overall. Despite the challenging time bramble has had with our mental health patients you carry on advocating and being fab with them. The outstanding care and compassion you show to each and every patient is amazing, I would happily have you look after my family members. Kim always encourage others to do their best in their job, always hyping up the team on a rainy day. You are a ray of sunshine!!
Kim is the shining star of our HCAs on Bramble, she always puts in 100% to her job and never fails put a smile on everyone’s faces. Her skills are endless and she always upholds the most dignity for all her patients. Her care is consistently holistic and she has a talent for communicating even in the most difficult of situations. Kim is always striving to better herself along with her skill set and she is an amazing role model to all our staff members here on Bramble.
Kim is a fantastic senior health care assistant. She is always proactive, caring and a all rounded super star. When on shift with Kim she is always looking for ways to help others whilst prioritising her patients. Kim is always building professional relationships with her patients and is always spoken highly of. We are so lucky to have Kim as part of our team.
Kim is an amazing HCA and a valued member of the Bramble Team. Kim is always willing to help anyone out and nothing is ever to much. Kim always provides expectational care to all of the patients and goes above and beyond. You are fantastic with all of our patients but are expectational with some of our more challenging patients and are able to build professional relationships acting as an advocate for them. You are always seeking out tasks and ensuring cares are able to provided more effectively and better. You are an exceptional HCA Kim!
Yvonne Doyle
Works at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Yvonne has a wealth of experience working as HCA.
Yvonne makes postive relationships with the patients and their families and has a calming approach with them. Yvonne will use her voice to advocate for patients. Yvonne is will make sure everyone feels welcome on the ward.
Yvonne will support the nursing staff and will support new staff too.
Yvonne always provides an exceptional service and encourages her team to work effectively to care for children and young people. Yvonne always works hard and keeps positive throughout. She is an amazing team member and I look forward to any shift I have working alongside her!
Yvonne is someone you can rely on. She is always there to support on shift, no matter the task!
Yvonne uses her initiative which is hugely noted especially when the ward is busy, she makes the shift so much better!
The care Yvonne provides for her patients and their families is incredible, she is a fantastic advocate.
Yvonne works really hard and always with a smile, creates a lovely working atmosphere, there is always a laugh or two when she’s around!
It’s such an honour working alongside Yvonne, keep being awesome!
My nomination goes to Yvonne Doyle. She has worked on wildgoose for many years and is always fun and bubbly, she is a joy to be around. Yvonne works so hard on ward and is a real team player. She is amazing with patients and their families and will always help wherever she can. Yvonne works a huge amount of extra shifts to help the ward out when short staffed and deserves recognition for her hard work and commitment.
Yvonne is such a fantastic health care and such a pleasure to work with. She’s very conscientious about what she does and will always go the extra mile for both staff and patients. They all love her so much.
Yvonne is mother hen and will brighten your day when she’s on. Yvonne is a credit to wild goose and an excellent team player,
Donna Drake
Works at Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Donna is a healthcare assistant working primarily in paediatric outpatients in Torbay. She is dedicated to that role and as well as assisting with the day to day running of OP she undertakes the skin prick testing for allergy which might I say she is an absolute whizz at!! Having watched her do it I was blown away by her communication with children and their families, putting them immediately at ease during a potentially fairly unpleasant procedure. She demonstrates such competence and expertise in this skill that the child often seems to enjoy the ‘bubbles being popped’ which for those that have never seen the test being done involves pricking the skin with a needle! Most children come out smiling with a sticker. She’s incredible!
Fabulous HCA who helps run our busy outpatient department. She is cheerful, efficient and organised.
She has a beautiful manner with children and their families, and is particularly sensitive to those with additional needs who find the outpatient department visits challenging.
She manages the outpatients fluently ensuring that all the clinicians have what they need, notes are organised and weights/heights and other readings are done promptly and in the notes.
She deals with patients, families and flustered doctors with equal compassion and skill.
In addition to this Donna has worked hard to develop patient information boards in the waiting room and has attended courses to try and improve our approach to those with sensory or additional needs.
She’s such an asset to the department. Please keep up your exceptional work!
Karen Jeffery
Works at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
She is friendly, positive and kind attitude, I can always guarantee that she always willing to help all the nurses around the ward.
Her presence helps create a fun and comforting atmosphere to the team and all the patients and families, she is valuable on the Bramble team.
Karen is an amazing HCA who delivers the most outstanding care to her patients. Karen has joined Bramble with the background job of community health visiting, and has been able to share the knowledge and experiences with the HCA team. Karen always advocates for her patients when required, and is confident in escalating the care when required. Karen has worked hard in understanding the support and care required for the mental health patients and ensured she has had the appropriate training to support this also. Karen is always full of life, and brings so much joy to the ward.
Karen you are just wonderful! Always willing to help myself and others despite how busy and crazy a shift can get. Knowing you are on shift I feel confident that the day will be okay. Karen provides support to our team to provide outstanding care towards our children and young people that we see. Especially those who are in for mental health reasons. Karen goes above and beyond to care and support patients. She inspires me to always give the best care possible.
Karen has settled into Bramble so well and it feels like she has always been here! She is amazing with patients, particularly our young people with a mental health need, and has a lovely warm personality that has been really helpful in building trust with these patients. Karen is always smiling and looking out for other staff on the ward and works incredibly hard.
Jane Lomax
Works at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Jane consistently demonstrates her strong work ethic through her dedication and commitment to all of the patients/ tasks. She uses her initiative to go above and beyond and therefore creates a positive example for the entire team. Janes empathetic nature shines through in her interactions with both patients and colleagues and is often reflected in our family and friend feedback forms.
The combination of both hard work and empathy makes Jane an invaluable team member. Her positive attitude and willing to help others contributes to a more cohesive team and harmonious working environment, making her an essential asset to the team.
Everyone needs a Jane! Jane has the most wonderful nature and this shines through with the care and compassion she shows to our young people and their families. She is instrumental within her role at delivering high quality, safe and compassionate care. A large part of her role is working with our eating disorder patients. This can sometimes be incredibly challenging however Jane with fantastic communication is able to encourage and support to promote the health and wellbeing of not just the patient but their families as well.
Jane is a massive support to the nursing team, nothing is ever too much trouble and she is an absolute Joy to be on shift with.
Jane deserves the Healthcare & Nursing Assistant of the Year award for her exceptional dedication and commitment to the care of children, young people, and their families. She consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that each patient feels valued and supported, fostering a warm and compassionate environment.
In her role, Jane provides outstanding support to her team. She actively shares her knowledge and best practices, encouraging collaboration and enhancing overall team performance.
Furthermore, Jane inspires others through her advocacy for patients- especially patients who have an eating disorder. Her passion for improving their experiences and outcomes motivates her colleagues to strive for excellence in their own work.
Additionally, Jane is proactive in identifying potential challenges and addressing them before they escalate. As a true team player, she fosters a spirit of cooperation, ensuring that all team members feel empowered. Her remarkable contributions make her a deserving candidate for this award.
The best HCA on the floor! Doesn’t get the recognition she deserves because she is sometimes quiet. Fantastic with the patients and their families. Knowledgeable in all areas and always willing to help.
Jane is lovely. She builds develops great relationships with patients and families, she supports her colleagues and has an excellent relationship with all. Jane has a great work ethic and professionalism
Jane is fantastic! When you know you’ll be working with Jane you know it will be great. This is due to the fact that Jane is superb in her role and goes above and beyond her role!
No task is to small, Jane provides exceptional service to her colleagues, using her initiative to complete tasks. This really does make a huge difference! Her work ethic also encourages others to work more effectively!
I’ve had comments from colleagues as well as parents commenting how amazing Jane is, and I would have to agree!
The care she provides for patients and their families is second to none!
We’ve had some tough times on the wards in the last few months, and to be able to work with Jane knowing she is supporting her colleagues is awesome.
It really is a privilege to work alongside Jane, she brings joy to every shift and is an outstanding colleague whom I hold in high esteem! Keep being amazing!
Jane is outstanding at her job. She always advocates for the patients making sure they are comfortable and doing what she can for them. She is on top of everything making sure that things are done. Jane is so approachable and kind, willing to help you whenever she can and is very supportive. She will always go around to make sure that patients and their families are well taken care of and if there is anything that they need. She is an amazing person to work with and inspires others around her.
Jane is very deserving of this nomination for healthcare assistant of the year. She consistently demonstrates commitment to patients , families and her colleagues.
Jane is always one step ahead and makes busy shifts a lot easier. She is very proactive and always keeps herself busy helping where she can. She builds great relationships with patients and their families and Supports the team to work effectively. Nothing is ever to much trouble for Jane, she is happy to share her skills and knowledge to new HCA’s and support them in their development. We are very lucky to have Jane on the ward and she very much deserves this recognitions for all her hard work.
Tracy Meaker
Works at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
There is no job that Tracy isn’t willing to undertake and learn. She has settled into the Bramble family as if she has always been here. Her caring nature and kind heart knows no limits. Tracy goes above and beyond for us nurses and even more so for patients. She is a great advocate for our mental health patients, with her compassion and gentle nature she manages to get to know the patients and understand them at crisis points. Tracy has been in many situations where she can gain the trust of patients and de-escalate them with such ease. Tracy could have a million jobs to do, but she makes you feel like you’re the only person in the world at that time. Tracy really makes any shift better with her humour, stories and smiles. Thank you Tracy for being a fab HCA.
Tracy has come to bramble and swept us all off our feet! Tracy has such passion and drive to ensure she goes the extra mile when supporting not only the patients but also her team mates. Tracy is FANTASTIC with supporting the young people who are struggling with their mental health. She is able to offer them support and reassurance during their time on the ward making it that little bit easier for them. Tracy came to bramble with such a wealth of knowledge and understanding, and has been able to share these experiences with her HCA colleges, who have then been able to use them in practice. Tracy remains professional at all times, and is never afraid to speak up and ask for advice when needed.
Tracy I am so glad we have you on the HCA team, you are an absolute pleasure to work with, and you’ve filled that gap in our puzzle we’ve been looking for. Thank you for being you!
Tracy is one of a kind! She is an outstanding member of the Bramble team and we are so honoured to have her. She’s outstanding at her role, going above and beyond for her patients, families and colleagues. She is able to make professional relationships easily and put anyone at ease. Nothing is ever too much to ask with Tracy, she’s always happy to help no matter what the job is. Tracy is able to assist in any situation and gets involved without even asking. She is amazing with all patients but especially some of our more challenging patients. Always professional but never fails to put a smile on everyone’s face. Tracy you’re just amazing!
She is really caring and attentive attitude towards patients specially for ED patient, takes time to talk and reassure them with her lovely manner.
She is always smiling . A great team player and lovely to have around!
Tracy, where do I start. You have not been on bramble for long but you are so loved. You are such an asset to the team. You always make my shifts better, knowing you are on. Nothing is ever too much for you, you are always willing to help where ever you can. The care and compassion you show not only to patients and families but to your colleagues is wonderful. You truly are a ray of sunshine, always smiling with that contagious smile. Keep brighting up every place you go!
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Nursing Role Model Of the Year Award:
Gemma Hayes
Works at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – NORTHERN
Gemma is the epitome of Nurse goals! She is that person we all strive to be even half as good as. Throughout my time on the ward I have seen Gemma progress from band 5 to 6 and now our ward manager so She gets what it’s like to be a nurse at all different levels and works in partnership with you. Not only does she advocate for her colleagues but also patients and their families and is well respected with her firm but fair manner with the wider multidisciplinary team. She really listens to families views and implements positive changes in our practice to improve experiences.
She’s recently worked immensely hard to improve aftercare for families who have experienced childhood death after finding holes in the previous pathways. She’s inputted a lot of time and energy into staff education and creating bonds and resources with the bereavement team and wider charities. This has helped the family with their grief journey knowing their loss has lead to improved outcomes for others and enabled staff to feel empowered navigating such a delicate time and alleviated some fears. Gemma is an excellent educator with her non-judgemental and supportive manner and adapts for individuals learning needs. She’s helped me incredibly through navigating a difficult practice assessor placement and gave up her Saturday evening to support a meeting with the student. She fully embodies all the qualities it takes to be an amazing nurse.
Gemma leads by example and you always know when she’s done a clinical shift as you could eat off any surface on the ward! It’s sparkly clean. She’s always on the end of the phone whenever you need her and you bet she will come in to be right there beside you when it hits the fan. We owe a lot to Gemma for making our ward a lovely place to work and having such an amazing ward manager.
Rosie Houston
Works at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
Rosie is always working to improve the care provided on our unit. She has been pivotal in the implementation of ‘the cuddle bundle’. She is a great advocate for family centred care. She identifies a learning need on the unit and implements learning tools for nursing and medical staff, such as her arterial line set up sheet. She organises an annual sponsored team building trip which excellent at strengthening team bonds and unit morale. She is a strong advocate of baby, parent and staff wellbeing.
Rosie 100% deserves this award. She is so passionate about her role that she puts far too much of her own time and money into ensuring that her team are supported and her families are provided with the best possible care. She strongly believes in the great impact of good developmental care on babies lives and she loves teaching the importance of it to the wider team. At the very least, she is involved in the cuddle bundle project, baby friendly initiative, promoting the use of early breastmilk and wraps for skin to skin, teaches baby massage and is a band 6 nurse in charge. She spends much of her spare time creating posters and other communications for the above projects. She also takes it upon herself to bake something for almost every shift she works. Her sweet treats boost morale and make us feel looked after and appreciated. She will always check in with us throughout the shift to make sure our workload is not too heavy and will willingly do nursing tasks for us to help take the pressure off. She is a great mentor and will help her juniors to work through any issues they may be having in a caring and compassionate way. She is genuine and kind and is a great role model to all.
I have to nominate Rosie. I have never worked with anyone with quite so much energy and passion for neonatal nursing or who can achieve so much with her time. Rosie is committed to the care of babies and families. She has gone above an beyond over the last few years, including her project to implement cuddle wraps to facilitate kangaroo care on NNU, her recent project looking at parent attitudes towards discharge home and her guidelines and resources to improve the number of babies receiving early colostrum. She always wants to provide better care and I can only marvel at the energy and dedication with which she achieves this.
Rosie is also a through-and-through team player. nothing is too much trouble and there’s no problem that can’t be fixed. She looks after her team in all kinds of ways and she also makes fantastic brownies and project manages team building events (3 peaks!) which all boosts team morale. I feel incredibly lucky to have Rosie as a colleague ”
Rosie is a true inspiration to everyone who comes into contact with her; whether that be families on the neonatal unit or colleagues across the whole MDT, both in her own unit and throughout the region.
Rosie has spent many hours of her own time making many hundreds of kangaroo care wraps that have been distributed throughout the region to support parents to have quality kangaroo care.
She has also been instrumental in organising unit social events and in particular organising an annual sponsored walk where members of the Exeter neonatal unit have undertaking challenges to raise money for organisations such as Alzheimer’s UK, a neonatal unit in South Africa where the funds have been used to develop a room to be able to provide kangaroo care and before newborns Vietnam.
Rosie’s enthusiasm, commitment and dedication to our speciality are clear to see and she is a true asset to our team here in Exeter. As part of her ongoing development she has completed an important project looking at discharge planning, and is in the process of taking this work forward with the aim of creating an improved discharge package of care with the ultimate aim of contributing to the development of an outreach service.
Charlotte Johns
Works at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Charlotte is a very important member of staff . She is incredibly supportive of her colleagues , and is an amazing advocate of her patients. Charlotte is always available to talk over any issues we have with patients / families . Also she is happy to talk through any questions we have about care , treatment, or issues we have . She is well respected by us on Wildgoose patients and families rate her care highly , and their opinions are reflected in the lovely comments they record on friends and family forms . She has a sunny dispo , and cheers everyone up with her sense of fun and positivity.
Charlotte is a sister on wildgoose ward and is flourishing in this role, she manages the team well and is not only a role model to her colleagues, but the children that she cares for. Charlotte takes the time to talk to the patients and families she cares for and remembers the basics of nursing care and how important it can be to carry out simple Tasks such as washing and dressing patients which can often be forgotten on a busy ward.
She can sympathies with the children that she cares for in a way that very few nurses can. While still battling the illness that she was born with as a child she is still able to inspire and empower those around her.
Charlotte constantly strives for Improvement on the ward and helps her colleagues to do their best by supporting them in their clinical skills and inspiring them to push themselves to progress.
I know when I leave Charlotte in charge of the ward it is in safe hands and her colleagues will be supported and patients will receive the best care.
Charlotte is an amazing nurse. She builds and develops excellent relationships with patients and families and is a tremendous role model. She encourages everyone to be the best they can be and will offer advice and guidance to support everyone who wishes to learn and develop new skills. She is a vital part of the team and is always smiling and is a great personality to have on the ward. From a personal level Charlotte always supports me, gives advice and runs through any teaching opportunities with me that will help with my own future career development. Thank you charlotte, you’re great!!
Charlotte works with a confident, committed and positive attitude putting her patients, their families and her colleagues at the centre of all she does. Charlotte has worked a lot over the past year with some of our most challenging patients, making descions which put their best interests first. Charlotte has a passion for helping young people with eating disorders working alongside a multidisciplinary team where she will advocate for patients if needed. As a band six nurse Charlotte is often in charge of the shift where she makes sure the day runs smoothly, encouraging staff to maximise postive outcomes for patients. Charlotte is able to work under pressure and always with a smile on her face.
Charlotte has an enthusiastic approach to teaching, guiding and offering her experience to others especially when we have students or new members of staff. Charlotte also promoted our positivity box where we can praise each other or thank someone by leaving a note in the box.
Laura McFarlane
Works at Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Laura is an invaluable member of the Emergency Department team. She is passionate, driven and is constantly striving for excellence. This is demonstrated in her recent excellent feedback she has received from patients and their families. Laura is an exceptional role model to her peers and she always leads by example. Laura supports those around her to be their best, practice to the highest standard and will educate those who require support.
Laura has a positive attitude to work and this is hugely influential during a busy and difficult shift in ED. Laura actively supports all of her colleagues (nursing and medical) to achieve the best outcomes for the patients. She is a keen advocate for all those in her care, ensuring that the care that they receive is the best. Even during the most challenging shifts, Laura’s passion does not fade. She always remains calm and professional at all times.
I always feel reassured when Laura is on shift as I know that she will lead the team well. Laura can organise even the most chaotic shift and remain unflustered. Her leadership skills is something to be admired, she is an incredible role model for those who wish to progress to band 6. Laura deserves to be recognised for her hard-work and dedication to Emergency Care.
I’m nominating Laura to recognise her exceptional contributions to nursing through innovation and high-quality patient care. Laura consistently inspires her colleagues through her unwavering commitment to patient advocacy. She approaches each day with a passion for improving patient outcomes, often going above and beyond to ensure their voices are heard. Her enthusiasm for her work motivates others to strive for excellence, fostering a collaborative environment that prioritizes patient-centred care.
Laura embodies the spirit of lifelong learning and self-improvement. She actively seeks out opportunities for professional development, encouraging her peers to join her in workshops and training sessions. Her dedication to sharing knowledge not only enhances her skills but also uplifts those around her, creating a culture of continuous improvement within the team.
Laura excels in imparting her knowledge and expertise to both peers and junior staff. She has developed innovative training programs that engage learners and promote critical thinking. Her approachable demeanour and clear communication style make her an outstanding mentor, ensuring that the next generation of nurses is well-equipped to provide exceptional care.
Laura plays a vital role in supporting the senior nursing and medical teams. She regularly collaborates with them to streamline processes and improve patient care delivery. Her proactive approach in identifying challenges and proposing solutions enhances team efficiency and promotes a positive work environment.
Laura consistently exemplifies the Principles of Nursing Practice and the values of RCPCH. Her dedication to ethical practice, compassion, and respect for patients is evident in every interaction.
Tintu Varghese
Works at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Tintu is the first international nurse we have recruited in paediatrics, She became a band 6 sister on wildgoose early this year.
wow what an asset to the team she is. Tintu is an excellent teacher and educator on the ward and happy to teach her colleagues all the clinical skills she has. Tintu constantly strives to improve herself and others around her. Her work ethic and determination is something we can all learn from.Nothing is ever too much trouble for her and she is willing to help wherever needed. Tintu brings so much fun and positivity to staff, patients and their families.
Tintu is a pleasure to have on the management team and supports everyone to carry out their roles. Tintu has my nomination as she stands for everything a nursing role Model should be and deserves the recognition
Tintu has been an amazing asset to Wildgoose Ward and we all love working alongside her.
Tintu works extremely hard every shift to provide excellent care for her patients. Tintu will advocate for patients and their families and will work alongside a multidisciplinary team to get the best outcome for her patients. Tintu is a team player with a professional, committed and dedicated approach to her work.
Tintu has a lot of nursing experience and enjoys sharing that eith others by teaching and guiding her colleagues, students and new staff.
Tintu has a great personality too, she is kind, fun and we are lucky to have her!
I would like to nominate Tintu as Nursing Role Model of the year due to her exceptional dedication and contribution to patient care and team dynamics. Tintu displays the core values of nursing through her commitment to her patient, always prioritising their needs with both compassion and empathy.
In addition to Tintu’s clinical expertise, she actively mentors and educates her colleagues. This creates a supportive environment and has fuelled the team with a new passion and drive to learn and develop personal skills. Her approachable nature encourages open communication, helping others to feel confident in their skills and clinical decisions. She consistently leads by example, demonstrating professionalism and integrity in all aspects of her work.
Tintu’s blend of passion, compassion, dedication and leadership makes her an inspiring figure in nursing. Recognising her as Nursing Role Model of the year would not only honour her contribution, but also highlight the positive impact that nurses have on their team.
Tintu is such a delight. She is a breathe of fresh air and brings so much joy to the ward, staff and patients. Her knowledge and skills are next to none. The drs, students and nurses will often ask Tintu questions or ask them to assist her as they know she is fully competent and run any scenario. Tintu is a fantastic teacher and the way she explains is so clear and concise. She is keen, passionate, kind, caring and the most perfect nurse.
Tintu is a new band 6 nurse as has developed herself personally and professionally within this role, supporting management and junior staff.
Wildgoose is very lucky to have Tintu
Nina Worrin
Works at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Nina has worked as our cardiac nurse for nearly 2 years. She also works in education. Nina often doubts herself but she really shouldn’t. Nina strives for excellence and this is such a fantastic attribute to have. She has become an integral part of our team and we really couldn’t do without her. She has really pushed herself this year to develop her role, support patients, develop clinical skills and new pathways. This should be commended. Nina takes great thought to her role and is very conscientious. I know she has been such a support to so many patients and families both at the beginning of their journey in paediatrics and at then end. She supports our physiologist brilliantly and also makes my life as a consultant so much easier – she has time for that personal touch, especially for patients which is so important. Nina is such a fantastic member of our team, her work is excellence, her attention to detail is fantastic and her dedication to the role and the patients is second to none. She works brilliants in a wider MDT especially with teaching and training colleagues, such as organising a respiratory nursing study day, which i know she enjoys. She is also about to take on supporting a group of neonatal nurses to develop a cardiac interest. I hope she takes great confidence from this as she really is doing such a great job. I can’t wait to support her development and confidence over the next few years.
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Multidisciplinary Hero Award:
Holly Barker
Pharmacist at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
As a Pharmacist, she lives to help better the lives of her paediatric patients. She is attentive, friendly and full of compassion and understand for children and their parents, understanding the importance of not only making a child feel at ease, but their parents as well. She has fantastic working relationships, especially us in the Aseptic Pharmacy, where we understand the complexities of her role and childhood cancer, but her bright, bubbly personality make it even easier for us to go above and beyond to make this womans day a little bit easier. She is an inspiration to everyone, and genuinely one of the reasons I continue to do what I do.
Holly is an amazing pharmacist who goes above and beyond for all patients. Holly is a great advocate for patients and makes sure they always receive optimal treatment. Holly has been a great asset to the multidisciplinary team is always tries her best to be available for help and guidance. As a junior member of the nursing team, she always been very supportive to me and any questions or concerns I have due to her extensive knowledge and experience. She is a huge support on the ward and I am very grateful to have her in the team.
It’s a pleasure to work beside Holly. She is the most amazing pharmacist and is always happy to lend a hand. Whether it be offering guidance on a particular drug or talking with the pharmacy regarding prescriptions that can be taken home. She is constantly eager to impart her vast knowledge and share it with others. Your day automatically brightens when you see Holly in the ward, with her beautiful smile. Holly’s assistance has inspired me to strive for excellence in my work. She always interacts positively with patients, families, and her coworkers, making her an incredible role model. When it comes to providing the greatest care for the patients we meet, Holly is the epitome of excellence. Recently I have been working in oncology and around SACT treatment, Holly has been amazing at teaching me all about chemotherapy and other medications that we use. She is always so happy to teach and nothing is ever too much for her. Thank you for all you do!
Holly is the fantastic pharmacist on Bramble. She such a breath of fresh air that floats around Bramble where her presence is always welcome. She is always so smiley and speaks to everyone. No matter how busy the ward is, Holly always ensures patient safety is number one, is always aware of the pressures, making sure that she tells us where she is based whilst on the ward if we need her. Holly always answers her bleep in record time and never makes you feel silly for asking questions. Holly is so approachable and despite a mountain of emails she gets daily, she always ensures she helps anyone, especially me, to understand more about medications and microbiology recommendations. She is always going above and beyond in organising patient TTO’s and ensuring timely safe and timely discharge from the ward. As-well-as tackling some very tricky MAR charts, Holly is hot on the tail of ensuring patients are receiving the correct doses, for the correct number of days, ensuring her documentation is timely so the treatment team are aware of anything. It always lovely to see your smiley, happy face Holly. Thanks for all you do.
The following review was put in for Holly and her colleague as a combined nomination – we have put it here and in her colleague’s nomination too:
Goes above and beyond to support the Bramble team in providing safe and effective care. They are approachable, professional and it appears nothing is too much of an ask, often going out of their way to ensure the best for the patients even if this means running across the hospital to source something required!! They are a wealth of knowledge and actively engage with the nursing team to ensure this knowledge is shared through group teaching sessions and 1:1 learning. They care passionately about wider issues such as access to medications and reducing medication waste something we should all be champions of.
They are always calm, smiley and happy to help even though I am sure they are extremely busy! It is for this reason, and so many others, that they are worthy of this acknowledgment.
Having worked on Bramble ward for QUITE some time I have seen a number of pharmacists come and go. It puts me in a position to have seen people who do their job as they should, and then to see and appreciate when others go above and beyond, and she certainly does this.
There is of course the exceptionally competent and professional way they go about their work. The way they have both made themselves an integral part of the ward team. A visible part of that team – spending a good portion of their day on the ward. The way they make themselves available to answer queries, and actively help sort problems. Their interactions with families and patients not just staff.
Perhaps it is the number of small ways they both make a big difference. Just one example of this is if a drug is required quickly on the ward they will sort this out themselves in pharmacy and personally bring it to the ward.
The pharmaceutical part of the wards work is hugely important and it is very reassuring to know this individual – working as a team, are going the extra mile to support of those giving frontline care.
Abbey Cowling
Speech and Language Therapist at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
I am honoured to nominate Abbey, our dedicated Speech and Language Therapist, for the Multidisciplinary Hero Award. Abbey’s contributions to the NICU are invaluable, and her commitment to supporting high-risk infants’ feeding, communication, and developmental needs has made a profound difference in the lives of the babies and families we care for.
Abbey has created and refined individualised care plans for our most vulnerable infants, addressing complex feeding and communication needs with a compassionate, family-centred approach, easing a challenging phase of care for parents and babies with sensitivity and expertise. Her passion and knowledge in early intervention helps optimise long-term outcomes for high-risk infants. She is a valued and highly skilled member of the developmental care team.
Abbey has championed improvement projects, such as elevated side-lying feeding techniques, and provided ongoing education and training to colleagues. She ensures continuity of care, coordinating with community Speech and Language Therapy services for further support as needed, creating a seamless transition for family’s post-discharge from the unit.
Abbey has developed and embedded the Speech and Language Therapy role into the NICU. She is nearing the end of a yearlong Chief Nurse Fellowship Program, which shows her commitment to research, evidence-based practise and service development.
She has a huge passion for empowering families, fostering parent-infant bonds and promoting positive oral feeding experiences and early communication. Her approachable, positive and kind manner enhances professional relationships and collaboration. Abbey is highly regarded and a credit to the Neonatal Therapies Team.
Charlotte Drake
Speech and Language Therapist at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
Lottie is absolutely incredible. She is a fountain of knowledge and an excellent communicator with families on the neonatal unit. She advocates for babies during MDT meetings and has no doubt made parents journeys through the neonatal unit easier with her support and guidance with feeding. She is an asset to the neonatal team and we are so lucky to have her!
Lottie is such a valuable member of our team. Her knowledge and expertise is highly respected amongst the wider team and the families we work with benefit greatly from her. Lottie will inform us of her plan to see families and will work around when it suits the family, baby and nurse so to minimise disruption. She will carry out a comprehensive assessment of the baby’s feeding ability sometimes coming back to observe two or more times to get the full picture. She will then explain her observations and recommendations in full to both the parents and nursing team and will take the time to answer questions and further educate nursing staff on what to look for in the future. She will write up her notes clearly both on the patients chart and print off key points and hang them clearly in the baby’s room so consistency is maintained by everyone following the same plan. She observes things no-one else does and she is not afraid of being involved in complex cases alongside the wider multidisciplinary team. She will ask for the opinions of the medical and nursing staff and humbly take on board our assessments while working with the families. This input has a huge impact on babies and their families. From preventing babies from being fed before they are ready, to avoiding aspiration and oral aversion, to empowering parents to feel confident in their ability to feed their babies. She is a passionate advocate for breastfeeding but understands the difficulties many families face on their feeding journey. She is completely non-judgemental and extremely compassionate. It is an absolute pleasure to work with Lottie and she whole heartedly deserves this award.
Lottie is such an asset to the team – she so often goes above and beyond for families to ensure they are well supported. She’s a true advocate for her tiny patients working collaboratively with parents and staff to ensure optimal outcomes. She is also an excellent source of knowledge and support for other members of the team.
Lottie is a really valuable presence on the NNU. She takes so much time to support babies and families and then works closely with the MDT to achieve the best possible management plan for the baby. She is willing to discuss and share learning and she always seems to have time to give advice when I ask. She is positive and approachable and supportive and I really enjoy working with her. She also has great hair.
Claire Loader
Physiotherapist at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
It is with great admiration that I nominate Claire for the Multidisciplinary Hero Award, recognising her remarkable contributions to Neonatal Physiotherapy and her unwavering dedication to the long-term well-being of children and their families. Claire brings extensive expertise and innovative practice to her role, making her an asset and leader within the NICU therapy team and advocate for championing the role of Allied Health Professionals in neonatal care.
In her specialised work with babies in the NICU and neuro-developmental follow-up, Claire consistently demonstrates clinical excellence. She has not only established and advanced the Neonatal Physiotherapy role but also enriched it, focusing on neurodevelopmental outcomes for premature infants. Her depth of knowledge and hands-on approach ensure that each child receives tailored support, and families feel informed, supported, and empowered throughout their journey.
Claire is deeply committed to the professional development of her colleagues. She frequently offers training sessions for nursing and medical staff, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration. Her openness to having others shadow her work further underscores her commitment to education and mentorship.
Furthermore, Claire recently undertook a yearlong Chief Nurse Fellowship Program, undertaking a quality improvement project on the unit, highlighting her dedication to evidence-based practice and her proactive approach to improving neonatal care. Her commitment to research demonstrates her desire to see every child achieve their full developmental potential.
Above all, Claire embodies the qualities of kindness, compassion, and resilience. She consistently brings positivity and empathy into her work. She is an inspiring example of excellence in Paediatric Physiotherapy Practice.
Gemma Wright
Cardiac Scientist at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Gemma is our cardiac scientist. She is a force to be reckoned with! Gemma is making amazing progress in pushing herself and her role to be exemplars within the region and she is achieving it. Gemma is a fantastic echocardiographer and is developing amazing interpretation and management skills – gaining the trust and confidence not only from the clinical team but also patients and families. The wider team highly value her services and skills and the diversity and flexibility she brings to our team is invaluable. Gemma is developing her skills and our services to bring us to the cutting edge of the network as a leader and innovator in the region. Not just for echo, but also for physiology, teaching and training and service development and QI – she can do it all Keep pushing Gemma – you are doing brilliantly!
Beth Young
Physician associate at Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Beth is a fantastically skilled clinician with a great knowledge of both paediatrics and the systems within the hospital. She is an absolute asset to the wider team and has taken on additional responsibility within the eating disorder team, providing a fantastic link. As a resident doctor, her patience in helping to support us as we rotate through paediatrics is so appreciated.
She’s just bloody amazing. So glad Beth is working with our team. Hardworking and dedicated. She has exceptional communication skills. Has perfectly gone the firm but fair approach our patients need. They respond beautifully to her, patients and families alike. She gets stuck in with service development and is always keen on innovation. She makes an amazing bridge between the managing eating service and the ward.
I’m so glad you are part of the team Beth!
Over the last 18 months Beth has evolved and flourished as a clinician and as a hugely important member of our department in Torbay. There has been a growing challenge to the role of physician associates, and Beth has dealt with this admirably, tolerating multiple changes in her job plan and showing her chameleon-like ability to adapt to work with change.
Beth has flexed into working within the eating disorders team. She has blossomed and developed in this role, particularly providing clinical continuity for young people who are inpatients on the ward. This is both crucial to maintaining good care for these young people, as well as being a huge help for the clinical teams looking after them.
She continues to offer brilliant clinical skills and support to the tier 1 team on a day to day basis and is frankly indispensable as a member of our core team.
Most remarkable has been her calm tolerance of these changes, her consistently positive, helpful and proactive attitude and the tenacity, skill and professionalism with which she has dealt with the disruptions.
Beth is our PA at Torbay and is the absolute bedrock of the Child health team. She truly doesn’t realise how much she is respected and valued but we would be absolutely lost without her. She supports both the medical and nursing team and constantly strives for the best possible clinical care of children and their families. She’s a strong advocate and always speaks up if she is concerned about anything.
She is an oracle and is the go to for any queries about processes or how things work and provides such support to the rotating junior drs.
She brings fun to the team, I miss her when she is not on shift!
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Educational Supervisor of the Year:
Aleksandra (Ola) Boronczyk
Works at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
This lady has gone above and beyond supporting staff on the Neonatal unit, she took on the Educational Roll with it being in such a mess loads of people out of date on their mandatory training.
She has got the unit up above with top percentages scoring high across the trust.
Ola supports all the new staff at all levels with patients care and respect, nothing is to much trouble when it comes to ask for help.
Dr Thomas Gorst
Works at Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Dr Tom Gorst has provided excellent guidance, advice and support as supervisor to IMGs which helped them settle into the Paediatric training programme and into a new hospital practice environment.
I have started my training afresh, being an IMG. Being fairly NHS naive and RCPCH naive, Tom taught me everything with patience. He is an excellent guide towards my goals and has always been the best support there is. His feedbacks have always been considerate and constructive and thanks to him, I have felt more confident in my training pathway.
He also thinks futuristically that helps me work for the coming few years rather than just working towards my ARCP. I also love the lateral thinking and the strategic thinking he inputs in the case management.
Rebecca (Becky) Hambly
Works at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Becky’s teaching skills and neonatal nursing knowledge make her the ideal nominee in this category. She is exemplary as a neonatal Clinical Skills Facilitator.
She is the true definition of educational support, not just for our QIS learners, but for all nursing and medical staff.
Her debrief skills and learning conversations are to be admired, and is why she is a highly regarded PNA.
Becky will be the most fantastic educator when she moves on to her new role (in December) as Regional Practice Educator with the SWODN.
Becky puts her all into her role as CSF. Every one values and respects Becky for the amazing nurse that she is.
We should all be a bit more Becky
Dr Katy Huxstep
Works at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Katy is a truly excellent teacher and is always keen to find new and exciting ways to educate. This can include different ways of doing a ward round, teaching in a small group or presenting at regional meetings. She is always encouraging trainees and her colleagues to get involved, broaden their knowledge and improve their CV! She is a very supportive colleague and a great role model for trainees.
Dr David McGregor
Works at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
Dave is a fantastic educational supervisor. He has been incredibly supportive over the last year. He is kind and approachable and it is therefore easy to raise any work-based concerns with him. He is very knowledgeable of the RCPCH curriculum and strives to help trainees achieve their goals. I am incredibly grateful for his advice and guidance and he has really helped me grow and develop over the last year.
Dr Chris Williams
Works at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Chris Williams took over sim lead from the inimitable John Ellis many years ago. He is now inimitable himself! He is a stalwart for paediatric and neonatal point of care simulation. His SOH and his learning conversations make running them a joy. Many a trainee and nurse have been inspired by Chris’ innovation. He is the best advocate for education and teaching. I will miss his ‘Tigger’ like service weeks on the Neonatal service side. Our loss is RCH paeds gain.
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The Kate Westwood Memorial Award for Senior Hero (ST5-8 & SAS doctors):
Dr Stuart Davison
Has been working at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – NORTHERN
Stuart is hugely supportive towards the junior registrars that rotate through NDDH. His experience within his role has obviously made him highly competent in his role within the on-call rota. He also has roles with education and within the diabetes team.
Stuart is a joy to work with. He is a very experienced colleague and is happy to teach and share his knowledge and experience will all members of staff. He is excellent with parents and families of the babies he cares for. It is always reassuring to have him around during all situations but especially in an emergency.
A knowledgeable calming presence when he’s on. Runs our diabetes team and teaching for medical students fantastically. Glad he’s part of our team.
Stuart is a core member of our medical team. Whenever he is doing a ward shift we feel we are in safe hands with his wealth of knowledge and expertise, especially when we get a resus call. Stuart really listens to nursing staffs opinions and works in partnership to ensure the best care is provided for the patients. He builds excellent rapports with patients and their families providing thorough explanations and a kind bedside manner. Often Stuart had already done swabs or discharge paperwork before nurses have had chance to which really alleviates pressure on some shifts. He is much loved by the whole team! Within his diabetes role he has provided consistency in care for the patients and helps to educate nursing staff on the various pathways to help the patients and their families to navigate this illness and adapt to a new normal. I feel Stuart is thoroughly deserving of this award for being such pivotal leadership figure and role model to other doctors, and being so supportive of nursing staff.
Dr Ash Gupte
Has been working at Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Ash is one of those Professionals for whom diligence, resilience, hard work almost dwarfs the human that he is.
Apart from a constant enthusiastic presence for the team, patients, and nurses, Ash is someone for whom words may not express the value that he brings to the team.
His exceptional hard work with a smiling face in the midst of challenging clinical & logistic situations, demonstrates the high regard that he holds for always advocating & supporting the cause of the team and CYP.
This nomination recognises his Outstanding contribution over the years.
Ash is very dedicated to paediatrics, always picking up extra shifts to make sure there are no gaps. He is a fantastic team player and really takes the time to teach the junior members of the team. He is kind and caring towards both colleagues and patients. I always know it will be a good shift when working with Ash.
I am really pleased to nominate Ash Gupte for the Kate Westward Memorial Award for Senior Hero PAFTA, recognising his exceptional leadership, dedication, and unwavering support for both patients and his team.
Ash has consistently demonstrated what it means to be a hero in the nursing profession. His commitment to excellence in patient care is evident in every interaction, as he prioritises the needs and well-being of those he serves. Ash approaches each patient with compassion and empathy, ensuring they receive not just medical treatment but also emotional support during challenging times.
As a senior nurse, Ash leads by example, embodying the values of teamwork and collaboration. He fosters an inclusive environment where every team member feels valued and empowered to contribute. His approachable demeanour encourages open communication, allowing colleagues to seek guidance and support without hesitation. Ash takes the time to mentor junior staff, sharing his extensive knowledge and experience, which significantly enhances their professional development.
In times of crisis or high pressure, Ash remains a calm and steady presence. He navigates challenges with grace, rallying his team to work together efficiently and effectively. His ability to inspire confidence in others not only strengthens the team dynamic but also ensures that patient care remains the top priority.
Ash’s contributions extend beyond his immediate team; he actively collaborates between ED & paeds to improve processes and patient outcomes. His dedication to continuous improvement reflects his commitment to the highest standards of care.
In summary, Ash exemplifies the qualities of a true senior hero in nursing. His leadership, compassion, and unwavering dedication to his team and patients make him a deserving candidate for the Kate Westward Memorial Award.
Ash is an extremely well liked member of the paediatric team at Torbay. He always has a smiling face and so supportive of everyone. Parents and children love him and he has a friendly, warm communication style. He is constantly striving to develop his knowledge and expertise and is currently developing his knowledge in allergy and endocrine.
Ash is just great, everyone is always relieved when he is on shift!
Dr Manoj Jagadesh
Has been working at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Manoj is a joy to work with, always bringing a smile and a ‘can do’ attitude. He jelled with the team so well and was really on a level with the nursing team, encompassing the one big team feel always. Manoj is passionate about his work and his role, his bedside manner is fantastic and the patients and parents felt confident and relaxed in his care. I am sure Manoj will go on to achieve great things.
The biggest kid in paediatrics!!
Any shift with Manoj is fun and you know you will be laughing your way through the day, but just watch your back because he is the biggest prankster and is always up for creating mischief! Pokémon go is his best friend!
Aside from that he is such a well respected doctor, he is patient, kind and compassionate. Patients and parents love him, he strives to provide the best care possible to his patients and goes above and beyond. Manoj is an excellent teacher to both medical staff & Nursing staff and is always keen to share his knowledge and skills. The nursing staff know they can rely on Manoj in any situation and he listens to their concerns without question.
His expert skills are in winding the nursing staff up, however we give as good as we get….. just remember this when you return from Bristol to Level 12 Manoj!!!!
Dr Jess Pales
Has been working at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
Jess is an incredible Specialty Doctor for the eating disorder service and most importantly, a wonderful person. She is thoughtful, supportive, passionate and a fantastic leader. Jess strives for the best possible care and consistently goes above and beyond for her patients and colleagues. She is incredibly knowledgeable and shares this knowledge with the team. Jess amazes me with her ability to juggle a huge number of complex tasks at once and never seems to drop the ball! She is always approachable and supportive and ensures all members of the team; nursing, dietitians, admin staff and more have the opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions and she ensures they are considered and listened to.
Jess builds strong professional relationships with her patients which have been instrumental for enacting change in this complex patient group. She is curious and courageous, supporting innovation and challenging unhelpful perceptions from both staff and the families with whom she works. Her patients adore her and respect her and she is able to deliver challenging information and conversations compassionately and kindly.
Jess has a fantastic sense of humour and is able to lighten the atmosphere on difficult days. She regularly checks in with members of the team and seeks to acknowledge good practice and a job well done. Her passion, drive and care are seen and appreciated.
Dr Emma Shircliff
Has been working at Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Emma is a wonderful person, she has a lovely bedside manner with the patients, but she’s also very supportive of nursing staff too. She’s simply wonderful & deserves any recognition she can get & more!
Emma is genuinely one of the most compassionate doctors I have ever had the privilege to work alongside. I always feel reassured when Emma is on duty, knowing that all patients are in exceptionally capable hands. Her dedication to the department and her commitment to patient care are outstanding. During my pediatric placement, I learned a great deal from her, and I am incredibly thankful for her patience and the insightful debriefs following challenging cases.
Emma is a brilliant registrar and is more than ready for the consultant role. She is diligent, hardworking and organised. Her communication skills are exemplary, especially teens who are struggling with their mental health. She is very good at understanding the situations of others. Her diagnostic skills and management plans are excellent. She is a great advocate for her patients and their families. She is also brilliant at keeping an eye on the well fair of the team and embodies all the RCPCH values.
Dr Megan Tombling
Has been working at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
Megan is a fantastic registrar and a pleasure to work with.
She manages her workload efficiently supporting junior members of staff.
She works well within the paediatric team, and has the confidence to support the ED for advice when needed.
Her self confidence ensures that her patients and families feel comfortable with her clinical decision making, she communicates well with both children and their parents.
As a member of the nursing team – I feel she listens to any concerns I have she is a fab support to me when on shift. It won’t be long until Megan will be a consultant, of which I am 100% sure she will be amazing at.
Megan an absolutely fantastic doctor, she is so supportive in emergency situations and empowers, whilst guiding staff every day. She shows exemplary team working, leads everyone in the team, whilst her clinical skills are also amazing. I absolutely love working with Megan every day from when she first came to Exeter as a ST1 to now at the end of her training. She will make an amazing consultant and wish she could stay in Exeter.
Megan is an inspiration to paediatric trainees. She is incredibly hard working and displays fantastic leadership and team working skills. She is supportive of her junior colleagues, and I am always so pleased to see that I have been rostered to work with her. She always finds opportunities to teach trainees- whether that be clinical skills, case based discussions, or morning departmental teaching. She is hard working and proactive and always strives to provide excellent patient care. She has excellent communication skills both with patients and colleagues, and in a variety of clinical settings. She is certainly a role model!
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The Debbie Eadie Award for Advance Nurse Practice:
Lesley George
Works at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Lel is a great ANNP! She has excellent clinical skills and her vast experience with sick babies speaks volumes. She is organised, hard working and has an eye for detail which means things run smoothly on the neonatal unit when she is working. Lel is a very valued colleague and team member!
Lel is an exceptional senior ANNP who is dedicated in her professionalism as an ANNP. Lel is an excellent practitioner and educator and guides and support all staff nursing and medical and is always supporting others from her expertise. Lel demonstrates excellent communication skills within the unit and in an emergency. Lel encourages all staff to be the best they can be and is an exceptional role model. Lel truly cares about the colleagues she works with and the babies and families she care for and this embodies the RCHT trust values. When in an emergency situation, I would want Lel to be by my side with her expertise, professionalism, care and compassion and her effective communication. A true ambassador of neonatal care within the Southwest and we are lucky to have her working alongside us at RCHT.
Lovely to work with. Excellent with families and babies. Always tries to improve the care for all. An absolutely wonderful human.
Katherine Green
Works at Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
I have worked with Katherine over a number of years and she just goes from strength to strength. She is a fantastic nurse and now an outstanding advance nurse practitioner. Perfectly bridging the gap between the nursing and medical team. She is hardworking, reliable, innovative and a pleasure to have in the team. I am beyond delighted that she has come to join the managing eating team. She has been instrumental in designing and instigating multiple quality improvement projects since joining the team. She is a wonderful advocate for our patient population and ensures that this sometimes marginalised patient group is included on a level playing field with other patient groups.
Katherine is also wonderfully caring and is brilliant at seeing the pressures on our patients and their families. She shows natural leadership skills and is an excellent educator. She is always willing to engage in any teaching opportunities. She is also fantastic at ensuring her practice is evidence based and in line with the most up to date evidence and guidance.
Katherine you’re great, keep being you!
Katherine is one of our ACPs at Torbay. She’s currently on maternity but hugely missed. Katherine always has a smile on her face no matter how tough the shift, she is like a breath of fresh air. She qualified last year and her confidence and competence has grown massively in that time.
She undertakes thorough clinical examinations and makes safe management plans taking into account all of the physical and psychosocial factors.
She has joined the eating disorder team in the last year and has been invaluable to them helping to manage both the inpatients and outpatients.
She is a strong advocate for young people who present in mental health crisis and shows excellent communication skills with this patient group.
We look forward to welcoming you back Katherine!
Kim Pauling
Works at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Kim has been a fantastic lead for Paediatric ANPs, she is paving the way forward for the team and doing so with such determination. Not only is she leading the way, but she is personally an incredible ANP and has stepped up to the reg rota this year. She always gives the time to her patients and fully explains the management plan and ensures they understand. She is an amazing colleague, and is supportive, approachable and an absolute pleasure to work with.
Kim is a fantastic APNP and has a high level of clinical acumen and knowledge. She is great at working on the Tier 2 paediatric rota, supporting the junior doctors and nursing team. She is able to problem solve and make robost and comprehensive assessments, and develop management plans for a wide range of patients including those with complex health needs. She is an inspiration to the APNP trainee team and general nursing team, inspiring others to enter advance practice. Kim is also a great mentor/supervisor, supporting the trainees to develop both knowledge and clinical skills, in a safe environment by being approachable, friendly and positive. Lastly, she is continually leading the APNP and working on driving the further development of the team and how with work alongside the nursing and medical teams. Thank you for all your hard work Kim, it truly is appreciated!
Keeley Smith
Works at Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Keeley is a fantastic clinician and a great team-member. I always enjoy working with her on SSPAU as I’m guaranteed to learn something new and she’s never failed to make me laugh, even on a very busy shift. Her communication skills are exceptional, and particularly shine when working with neurodiverse children and young people.
Keeley’s confidence and expertise as a paediatric advanced nurse practitioner has grow hugely over the past year. She shows her competence and knowledge every day in her assessment of children presenting with a wide range of acute illness presentations. She is always keen to teach both nursing and medical members of the team both formally and informally and is very adept at this skill.
She straddles the nursing/medical divide perfectly and always strives for cohesion between the teams from both a social and professional aspect.
She has excellent communication with children and their families and always takes the time to explain every thing fully to them.
Her decision making is spot on and she can always be counted on to make the safest decisions for the child, taking into account the parents views.
Her leadership skills are great and she safely co-ordinates the SSPAU shift ensuring she is aware of bed pressures and ED status to ensure all children have timely care and the flow through paediatrics remains safe.
She strives to develop the service and is currently involved with a project looking at how we can improve SDEC for children within Torbay.
She actively seeks out learning for the purpose of both self development and supporting the child health service and is currently exploring neurodiversity with the hope to take on some clinic work.
Sarah Tabrett
Works at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
I am nominating Sarah Tabrett for this award because she has dedicated her working life to children and neonates.
Since coming back to Cornwall from GOS hospital nearly 30 years ago, Sarah worked as a staff nurse, sister and for the last 20 years as an ANNP. Now lead ANNP she fills every day with smiles, positivity and, high energy on the neonatal unit.
Sarah is the epitome of professionalism, calmness, great leader, teacher, friend. She is totally approachable, to the point that everyone one in maternity services (and beyond) knows her name.
Sarah is the anchor of the NNU and the reason why we have such a flat hierarchy in our amazing team.
I’ve had the honour of being her ‘wingman’ in many of her teachings in NLS, Step Up To Reg and weekly sims, . From the Scillies to Glasgow she has demonstrated the precision of the perfect ‘bagging’ technique. She is a member of many panels outside of her clinical practice.
Her job is her life. And I have no idea how she has also raised three beautiful girls and run a small farm as well.
There is no one more deserving of this award for giving 30 years of Cornish dedication to keeping small people alive.
Elliot Tuckinson
Works at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
I’ve been so impressed with Elliot’s start to advanced practice. Although still only a trainee APNP he has excellent clinical acumen and I can tell he will thrive in his role when fully qualified. Hard-working, fun to work with and an excellent communicator. He’s a real asset to UHP. Well done Elliot and keep it up!
Excellent ANNP, always helpful, very hardworking, excellent clinical skills
I have had the pleasure of working with Elliott for many years, from student nurse to student APNP and what a fantastic one he is. Elliott shows such care and compassion for his patients and their families, he continuously strives to ensure the patient journey is a positive one. He is one of the most supportive people I know and will always help both medical & nursing staff, Elliott never hesitates in coming and supportive his colleagues whether it be assisting nursing staff with Triage or medications to clerking patients etc. Elliott is a fantastic teacher and shows such a positive attitude in sharing his knowledge and skills with both medical & nursing staff, he will always provide that confidence boost when you need it.
Aside from this he is the most caring colleague and will always be available with a listening ear & sensible advice, whether its a work related matter or personal. Elliott is continuously identifying areas for service improvements and comes armed with suggestions and his positive approach in addressing these.
Elliott is well respected by both the medical and nursing team, he has such a calming nature and is loved by all patients and their families as well as staff.
Always such a lovely shift when you are working, supportive and always happy to do a cannula for me
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Consultant Hero Award:
Dr Yolanda Alins Sahun
Works at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Yolanda truly deserves to be awarded the Paediatric Consultant Hero title for her outstanding contributions Paediatrics. Her commitment to excellence in her work is evident through her clinical outcomes and innovative treatment approaches, which have significantly improved patient care. Yolanda consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that each child receives the best possible treatment, showcasing her dedication and expertise.
As the diabetic lead, she continually provides support for young patients with diabetes, ensuring they receive tailored, high-quality care; both as inpatients and the community.
Yolanda also exemplifies exemplary teamwork. She collaborates seamlessly with her colleagues, demonstrating empathy and support. Her approachable nature encourages open communication, making her a trusted resource within her team.
Yolanda’s interactions with patients and their families are nothing short of exemplary. She prioritises compassionate care, taking the time to listen and address their concerns. This builds trust and rapport, making families feel supported during challenging times. Yolanda’s holistic approach to paediatric care makes her a true hero in her field.
Yolanda is truly wonderful. She is amazing from the nursing perspective and we all love having her on the ward. Her dedication, time and passion towards her patient is second to none. She always has the ability patients best interest and the core of what she does. Yolanda is funny, charming and a breathe of fresh air.
She has such a clear and concise way of explaining and teaching with such passion. She stayed late after clinic to support our HCA with their nursing work.
Yolanda you’re great. We are lucky to have you
Yolanda is a fantastic consultant. She dictates so much time and passion into the patients on the ward and her role as a whole. She is approachable should and when you have any questions or concerns. I am hoping to progress in my own career and Yolanda has assisted me with information and knowledge that I have used towards my studies and I could not be more grateful.
Yolanda works tirelessly for her patients . She is very invested in her patients care , checking up on them at all times of the day or night .. She is passionate about getting the correct care , and making sure it is delivered to her patients . Yolanda has also got a great working relationship with colleagues and staff on wards . And she always entertains us with her observations and views .
Dr Christopher Butler
Works at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Dr Butler is a phenomenal consultant. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough space to write why he should receive this award.
Sadly, his time is drawing to an end here in Cornwall but he won’t be forgotten due to the lasting impression he has left with both patients and staff. He started as a new consultant but over the past five years he has forged an expansive CV that many would take to develop in double that time.
We have been so lucky to have him here. He turned around the epilepsy care from working as a solo consultant to now an efficient service with three physicians, 4 nurses and a psychologist. It’s no mean feat but he made it all look very easy!
Trainees look up to him too. So much that he was awarded best foundation educational supervisor two years running.
Dr Butler recently organised the regional Epilepsy meeting which was exceptional and praised by a lot of those who attended.
Dr Butler will be sadly missed by all of us in the department. He is always happy to give advice to colleagues when needed and his departmental teaching is invaluable. He’s really made a difference and leaves some big shoes to fill.
His patients love him. I once had a parent tell me that they have a saying in their home. “when things are bad, what would Dr Butler do? We need to be more Chris!” It couldn’t sum it up better.
Dr Butler totally deserves this award as Consultant hero.
We wish him all the luck and happiness with his next adventure as it has been a blast having him on the team! Thank you Chris!
Dr Christine McMillan
Works at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
Christine is a gentle, kind and caring consultant who leads the Eating Disorder service. Her calm and reasonable manner ensure that the service runs consistently and effectively to provide the best possible care to this patient group. Christine works incredibly hard to build strong rapport with patients and their family, whilst working equally hard to support all members of the team.
Christine is the voice of reason in a busy and challenging specialty. She values the opinions and expertise of all members of the team and makes sure everyone is listened to and supported to make change. Because of this, there is no sense of hierarchy within the team and everyone feels confident to challenge current practice for the betterment of the service.
Additionally, Christine is a genuine, funny and caring person who brings light to hard shifts! We are lucky to have her!
Christine is an incredible role model to many. Christine demonstrates an outstanding fulfilment in her work, and goes above and beyond continuously to ensure she meets the needs and requirements to all who require them. Christine is a FANTASTIC role model, nothing is ever too much bother and she will take the time to ensure she provides you with the support and education needs you require. Christine works closely with all teams whether this be in general on the ward, PAU, outpatients or alongside the mental health team. Christine has spent a great length of time getting to know her patients and their families, to build such a strong and positive relationship. Christine thrives in her role, and is a absolute credit to Bramble. We love you!
Dr Stuart Nath
Works at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Dr Nath is an inspirational consultant who I have the pleasure of calling a close colleague. I have worked alongside Dr Nath on occasions throughout the last few years and can honestly say I have not seen a more enthusiastic and hard working consultant. Dr Nath embodies what it is to be a paediatrician; he is kind, empathetic and communicates to the highest standard with his patients and colleagues.
Dr Nath has confronted challenges with reduced provision in his respiratory service and not once has he faltered to provide the highest standard of care. The ‘Thank You’ cards covering the wall of his office provides evidence of just how much his patients and families think of him.
Dr Nath always provides sound advice and support to his colleagues. He is always on hand and willing to help the trainees and senior doctors unpick perplexing cases. His knowledge of how to make the BEST cup of tea is also fundamental to the busy ward round being a success!
I particularly enjoy attending Dr Nath’s teaching sessions; he teaches with enthusiasm and I always come away from the sessions with a spring in my step and a new found enthusiasm for respiratory medicine.
Dr Nath has cared for my own child and his support and clinical knowledge helped us as a family through that stressful time. My child often remarks upon how Dr Nath is one of his heroes; it reminds me of the quote that ‘Children are like wet cement, Whatever falls on them makes a positive impression.’ And this positive impression will continue to be spread by Dr Nath with every patient and family he meets.
Thank you for being such an incredible colleague and paediatrician and you thoroughly deserve the Consultant Hero award.
Dr Natasha Sauven
Works at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Tash is a brilliant consultant and amazing person. She is unfailingly supportive to colleagues and trainees on both career and personal levels. She is proactive and thoughtful in planning opportunities to further training and improve skills of trainees. She finds and shares ways of meeting training needs while also improving services for patients.
She is passionate about patient care, building new services from the ground up, such as the new ARFID service launched earlier this year, and supporting new approaches such as the community outreach and support team (COAST) to facilitate eating disorder management at home. She advocates continuously for the adolescent group of patients.
Tash builds amazing personal relationships with her patients and families, working with them through very difficult situations, sometimes with weekly input for a long time. She will always make time to manage a phone call, meeting or ad hoc review to help her patients.
While managing all of this, she is friendly and approachable, and always has time to chat or listen to a colleague or trainee with any form of problem. She will offer practical and emotional support, and goes above and beyond to ensure those things happen. It doesn’t matter how busy she is, she will find time for everyone, from every part of the MDT.
Tash is an amazing consultant who inspires those around her. She deserves so much recognition for the work she does.
Dr Rachel Varnam
Works at Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Rachel is an exceptional ED consultant. She is always keen to educate her colleagues in a friendly and supportive way. Rachel is passionate about emergency care and this is evident in her practice. She is a wonderful support to everyone who needs it. Rachel is amazing to work alongside. She is reassuring, kind and brings humour (appropriately!) to her work. Colleagues and patients alike feel safe and well-cared for when she is working.
Her ability to lead a team well and teach junior members of the team is outstanding. She is a true role model for all of her colleagues.
I am nominating Dr. Rachel Varnam for the Consultant Hero Award (yes, she is an EM Consultant, not Paediatric Consultant), recognising her exceptional contributions to emergency medicine and her unwavering dedication to patient care, particularly within paediatrics.
Dr. Varnam exemplifies the qualities of a true hero in her field. Her commitment to providing high-quality, compassionate care is evident in every aspect of her work. In the fast-paced environment of the emergency department, she consistently demonstrates outstanding clinical skills, quickly assessing and managing complex cases while ensuring that each patient receives the attention and care they deserve.
Her collaborative approach with the nursing team sets her apart as a leader within the ED. Dr. Varnam fosters an environment of open communication, encouraging teamwork and respect among colleagues. She actively engages with nursing staff, allied health professionals, and other specialists, ensuring a holistic approach to patient care. Her ability to unite the team enhances the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the department.
Dr. Varnam is also a passionate advocate for her patients. She goes above and beyond to ensure that their voices are heard, addressing their concerns with empathy and understanding. Her dedication to patient-centered care not only improves outcomes but also helps to create a supportive environment for patients and their families during difficult times.
In addition to her clinical excellence, Dr. Varnam is committed to education and mentorship. She actively contributes to the training of nurses, nursing students and junior doctors, sharing her extensive knowledge and experience. Her encouragement and guidance inspire the next generation of medical professionals, reinforcing the importance of compassionate care in emergency medicine.
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Nursing Lifetime Achievement:
Gemma Hayes
Works at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – NORTHERN
Gemma is not only an amazing ward manager for Caroline Thorpe but she is someone who truly cares about the ethos of the ward, the staff and the patients. Gemma regularly works on the ward and is always willing to help if the ward requires it. Gemma is pushing the ward to new goals and enabling staff to join her on this. Gemma has been part of the implementation of the new PEWS standardisation and the implementation of the new sepsis guideline. She is an excellent role model and mentor and the ward is extremely lucky to have her as its manager
Gemma is the epitome of Nurse goals! She is that person we all strive to be even half as good as. Throughout my time on the ward I have seen Gemma progress from band 5 to 6 and now our ward manager so She gets what it’s like to be a nurse at all different levels and works in partnership with you. Not only does she advocate for her colleagues but also patients and their families and is well respected with her firm but fair manner with the wider multidisciplinary team. She really listens to families views and implements positive changes in our practice to improve experiences. She’s recently worked immensely hard to improve aftercare for families who have experienced childhood death after finding holes in the previous pathways. She’s inputted a lot of time and energy into staff education and creating bonds and resources with the bereavement team and wider charities. This has helped the family with their grief journey knowing their loss has lead to improved outcomes for others and enabled staff to feel empowered navigating such a delicate time and alleviated some fears. Gemma is an excellent educator with her non-judgemental and supportive manner and adapts for individuals learning needs. She’s helped me incredibly through navigating a difficult practice assessor placement and gave up her Saturday evening to support a meeting with the student. She fully embodies all the qualities it takes to be an amazing nurse. Gemma leads by example and you always know when she’s done a clinical shift as you could eat off any surface on the ward! It’s sparkly clean. She’s always on the end of the phone whenever you need her and you bet she will come in to be right there beside you when it hits the fan. We owe a lot to Gemma for making our ward a lovely place to work and having such an amazing ward manager.
Gemma is a fantastic nurse. She is an amazing ward manager. She will help and support everyone is can.
Jilly Luck
Works at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Jilly is such an excellent nurse and colleague. Her passion is in education and she has been crucial in implementing the education programme on the neonatal unit and supporting changes. Jilly is always thinking outside the box and how best to suit everyone’s (nurses, doctors in training and consultants) needs, she always shows imagination when doing this.
Jilly is a very experienced nurse and when she is working clinically shows great communication and clinical skills.
Jilly is a very supportive team member and colleague and I feel she should have this recognition for all her incredibly hard work!
There aren’t enough words for Jilly. She really is the foundation of our neonatal unit. Jilly is a an exceptionally experienced and wonderful nurse. She has put in hours and hours of time for our babies and families always going above and beyond.
Jilly moves seamlessly between education and exceptional clinical care bringing the whole MDT team together. She is unbelievably supportive for the nursing team from new starters to those gaining experience, to supporting the whole nursing and medical team in an emergency with her voice of experience. Jilly pushes forward education and teaching as a priority which is such a refreshing attitude to have, and has always been a strong supporter of the PAFTA’s – often waving the banner of the value of positive feedback. And she practices what she preaches, always thanking and appreciating people.
She is such a strong role model for our nursing team and such a support to the medical team, and of course our parents, patients and families who love her. She always takes time to meet visitors returning for a catch up visit and always seems to know those little details that mean so much to people. Our course in her role she absolutely embodies the principles of exceptional nursing practice.
Thank you Jilly for all you do for our Neonatal unit – we are going to miss you so much when you retire xxx
Catherine Manlow
Works at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
Catherine has worked in the NHS, most recently on Bramble, for many years.
In her most recent role as CNM on Bramble she works tirelessly to support the team in order to make a difference to the lives of children, families and service users. She is a steadfast member of the senior team and in the last 4 years alone she has supported 6 new CNM colleagues coming into this role and countless other colleagues coming and going whilst negotiating a global pandemic!
Lots of what she does goes on behind the scenes and this is sometimes under recognised, flying the flag for paediatrics across the trust and ensuring young voices are heard, which is not without its challenges.
She strives for excellence; keeping up to date with HDU standards across the network as part of the ODN and supporting learning and development as a member of the APLS faculty.
She is hardworking, approachable, compassionate, has a can do attitude, and above all she keeps her sense of humour which in times of pressure is an achievement in itself.
Catherine cares passionately about the well-being of the team and the quality of care we provide to service users.
Catherine is a rock to others and for this reason and too many others to mention she deserves this award.
Dawn Poulton
Works at Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Dawn is the band 7 for the assessment unit. She is so professional and caring. We as a team are so lucky to have her. She inspires me to be the best I can be. Dawn is always there for you if you need support or advice. She is always looking at ways to make improvements for the patients and the staff.
Dawn is a senior sister and lead on SSPAU within Torbay. She is an incredibly experienced nurse who demonstrates her wealth of experience every day. She is respected and well liked by the team and is a positive role model every shift. She consistently delivers exceptional and safe care and will advocate strongly for those children in her care.
She communicates very well with the MDT as well as the children and families who come to SSPAU. Many of them will ask for her by name and request she is there when they have their treatment.
She strives for service improvement and is currently active in a SDEC improvement project currently happening.
She is hugely supportive to all members of the team, and always supports senior management.
Dawn is the bedrock of SSPAU and deserves some recognition for her many years of service and dedication. She is extremely humble but is absolutely deserving of this award.
Sharon Sparkes
Works at the paediatric SARC for Devon and Cornwall
Sharon has dedicated her career to nursing; on the ward, in ED, and most recently, forming the heart of the paediatric SARC for Devon and Cornwall. She is about to retire, and we don’t know what we’ll do without her.
Sharon keeps children and young people at the centre of everything she does. She has built bridges with agencies across the southwest and developed a vast amount of knowledge of the services available to support children and young people after abuse. She uses this knowledge to advocate for children, young people and their parents, and ensures they always have someone to turn to. She always goes above and beyond in directly supporting and finding ongoing support for children when other services may not be able to help. Her natural problem-solving skills help families navigate the complexity of health, social care, and police systems. She has created links with police, social services, the charity sector, and health, and this allows us all to promote safeguarding and children’s health within Devon and Cornwall.
Sharon has had significant impact on improving the welfare of staff as well as patients. She has helped train many of us within the multidisciplinary SARC team over the years, passing on her valuable knowledge and experience so that we can continue to deliver a high quality service. If there is ever uncertainty about what to do, Sharon will have the answer! She is an inclusive, compassionate leader and has supported the SARC team and individuals through some difficult times. She is the first person in the office in the morning, and often the last out.
Sharon has been a constant presence through many changes in the SARC; setting it up, changing organisations, covid, and new locations. At each step she has helped innovate and think creatively about how to give the best possible service to the children and families we see.
Wendy Viggers
Works at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Wendy is a tour de force of positive energy. She lights up CAU every time she is on shift. An extremely competent and experienced nurse, I wholeheartedly trust her assessment of children. She is continually teaching all around her and keeping us doctors in check. It’s an absolute joy to work alongside you Wendy. Thank you for everything you do.
What is there to say about Wendy!! I first met Wendy when I was a 2nd yr student & she was completing her 18mth paediatric conversion.
I am so privileged to have worked with Wendy for over 20 years, her years of experience make her exceptional! From Wildgoose, Sister on Woodcock, Respiratory community nurse to supposedly retiring! However Wendy probably works more now than she ever did on CAU & CHDU!
You often hear her before you see her, with her “Ere Doc” or “Titch”. This is then often followed by her farm stories because being a nurse isn’t enough, she loves her cows & is a farmer too!
Wendy has a heart of pure gold, she has the most caring nature and is a strong advocate to all her patients & their parents. They love her, her skills and knowledge are remarkable and I still learn so much from her. She has helped me grown from a student nurse to the nurse I am now. Wendy is such a team player and supports all medical & nursing staff, you know when your on shift with her that your in safe hands!
Wendy is such a role model that I have looked up to all these years, she is well respected across level 12 and everyone loves her! I only hope that I can be half the nurse that she is. Wendy also is one of the most supportive colleagues I know, she is a work mum to many and will always listen & advise even if the advice might not be what you want to hear you know she is right!
Wendy, what can I say about Wendy?! Once heard, never forgotten? Hehe!
She is, and always been, an absolute powerhouse of a nurse. You always know that when Wendy is on shift, you are in for a cracker of a day, whatever it may bring. She is an amazing team player, she is always there to help, guide and support her colleagues, she will definitely tell you if you are wrong though hehe!
She works well with every member of the multidisciplinary team.
And she is always a powerful advocate for her patients, she has a wonderful rapport with them, and is well liked by all.
Wendy, you have a career that many aspire to, and should be incredibly proud of all that you have achieved.
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Team of the Year (Smaller team)
Children’s Community Nursing Team (Plymouth)
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
The children’s community nursing team in Plymouth is a hardworking team who work tirelessly to keep their patients out of hospital. The CCN’s care for children with a wide range of conditions who require support in the community. They cover a wide geographical area and therefore have to work alongside professionals from 3 different localities. The team support main stream schools and nurseries with training in medical skills such as tracheostomy, ventilation and gastrostomy care. The nurses also support with training carers to fulfill care packages under personal health budgets and also work closely with care agencies. The team support the acute wards as needed and also support with respiratory, CF , jaundice and Epilepsy clinics.
The CCN’s liaise with medical staff to commence any treatments at home to try and stop patients being admitted and will support the acute wards to discharge patients home. The team will take patients at short notice who require IV therapy at home so they don’t need to go into hospital daily and also work closely with the hospice to support their patients who require palliative care aswell as supporting bereaved parents and families. They commence patients on ventilation at home, support with sleep studies, complete VNS checks, arrange home oxygen, give weekly hormone injections and change wound dressings as required. The team are very busy and never know what to expect. They work closely with social workers and will attend TAM and CIN meetings as required. The team also support the 3 specialist schools in Plymouth. I feel honoured to work within such a dedicated and supportive team who give their all to ensure their patients receive the care they deserve.
Gwithian unit (Truro)
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
I am delighted to nominate the Gwithian team for the Team of the Year award. This dedicated paediatric outpatient service exemplifies the values of Royal Cornwall Hospital through their unwavering commitment to excellence in patient care and family support.
Gwithian’s staff consistently bring joy and positivity to their work, creating a welcoming and cheerful environment that puts families at ease during what can often be stressful times. Their infectious smiles and compassionate approach not only enhance the patient experience but also foster a sense of community among families and staff alike.
Families frequently express their gratitude, complimenting the team’s professionalism and warmth. The feedback we receive highlights the profound impact that Gwithian has on the well-being of both children and their families, making them feel heard, valued, and cared for.
The Gwithian team exemplifies outstanding teamwork and collaborates seamlessly with the multidisciplinary team (MDT) to advocate for families and ensure their voices are heard in the care process. They strive to continuously improve care by actively seeking feedback and implementing changes that enhance the patient experience. It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend the Gwithian team for the Team of the Year award, recognising their exceptional contributions to paediatric outpatient care.
Newborn hearing screening team (Exeter)
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
I nominate the newborn hearing screening team, because they are always so readily available and enthusiastic about their work.
They come to unit and screen babies efficiently and before discharge to ensure that families on the unit can achieve another milestone before going home.
Often the families on the unit have been through so much throughout their admission, and any test can induce anxiety, but the ladies in the team are always so approachable, understanding, and empathetic with the families and we have only ever been given great feedback.
They are great at communicating with staff on the unit to ensure they come at a time which is convenient for the families and staff, and doing so before discharge enables the team to complete a full and thorough discharge for babies before they go home.
In some occasions, babies in the unit have been referred to audiology, when this has happened in the past, the team has always been very clear and empathetic with families and always ensure they are efficient in completing the referrals and will arrange appointments which are convenient and suitable for the families and the unit if the baby is still an inpatient.
We appreciate the team, and them coming into the unit has definitely reduced the strain on the team because it means they no longer need to complete it themselves.
Paediatric Diabetes team (North Devon)
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – NORTHERN
The team work extremely hard supporting and helping the children with diabetes in North Devon . They all help support each other and provide up to date care and education for schools and families. They will go up and over to help the children and families they care for.
Speech, Language and Communication (SLaC) Team (Torbay)
Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
The SLaC team in Torbay and South have been through multiple changes linked to staffing and operational changes this past 18 months. Throughout all of it the team have remained positive, resilient and have kept the child and family at the centre of all decisions.
The team are very innovative and will actively seek new evidence and implement new intervention ideas to better serve the children, families and environments around the young people. They do this with a high level of professionalism ensuring all information is given in an accessible way ensuring outcomes are monitored regularly.
The team is strong and resilient and support each other in a way that is not always seen in teams. The team have adopted a solution focussed approach to any sticking points and this means everyone’s voice is heard no matter who they are, their job roles or bandings. This means everyone shares the accountability and they fully understand their roles and the bigger vision.
There is a huge focus on wellbeing with team members arranging wellbeing days, support drop ins and focussing on positive feedback. The team are coping in difficult times but come through knowing that the team is united.
The team focus on delivering the best possible care and balance the need of the child, family and wider environment. Feedback from sessions and the settings the children are in is always positive and, if needed, problems are solved quickly.
On the ground it may appear that the team are just doing their job but, they go above and beyond daily to ensure the children and families are given the highest standard of care and, they support each other creating a strong and supportive team.
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Team of the Year (Bigger team)
Bramble Ward (Exeter)
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – EASTERN
Where do I start! I started working on Bramble a year ago, i have never felt prouder to be apart of a team. The care we provide for children is exceptional, and this is constantly mentioned by patients, children and other teams.
I have been in bramble for three years now. It’s been the best three years of my life. Despite how busy and crazy the ward can get, the bramble team is always there to help and demonstrates teamwork. I know I can always reply on my colleagues through hard shifts. This year has been a hard year for myself, however I have received the best support to better myself. No day in bramble is ever dull, all my colleagues are always full of fun and laughter whilst also being professional in our roles and giving the best care possible. Speaking to university students who have placement in bramble, they have said they have never been included so much and seen a nicer team and I could not agree more. I know I will work in bramble forever. Bramble team works well to include the wider multidisciplinary team such as doctors and other specialists.
Bramble has worked tireless to get the ward more welcoming and inviting for children and young people. It’s always a happy, fast paced environment, but one I’m proud of working in. Everyone always goes above and beyond for their patients. The team work and morale is always on point, there is nowhere else I’d rather work.
Bramble team have worked so hard over the last year to ensure they provide a high level of care and support for patients and their families during a very challenging time. The acuity of patients has risen over the last year and as well staff storages, but Bramble have managed to stay focused and pulled together to ensure patient care is not impacted and are able to continue to offer a high quality of care to everyone who comes through our doors. Bramble is striving to make the ward a nice environment for everyone, with the new corridor being finished, as well as painting the ward to give it a fresh look. Lots of projects are happening behind the scenes and this is shown through dedication of all members of the teams who work on Bramble from patient flow coordinators to the CNMs. There is always lots of opportunities to enhance skills and attend courses, which is really promoted in house. Bramble is such a lovely place to work, the team do lots of out of ward activities to build team morale and within Bramble itself, everyone is so supportive of each other. I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.
I have had the pleasure of working on Bramble for the past two years. I have never worked in such a welcoming and supportive team. It does not matter what band you are, whether you are a permanent member of staff or an agency worker who has picked up a shift to help us out, we all work together and relieve pressures where possible. Bramble has been through some challenging times over the two years I have worked here, but we have all continued to stick together and ride the wave!
We always continue to advocate for our patients and their families to ensure they are all receiving the cares they require.
I couldn’t be prouder of the team we are, and how we are continuing to grow and develop together.
The team feels like a being part of a big family. Truly amazing.
Fistral/CLIC/Harlyn (Truro)
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
The team on Fistral, CLIC and Harlyn Ward excels in delivering compassionate, specialised care across several distinct and challenging areas: oncology, mental health care for those with eating disorders and other mental health needs, as well as general paediatrics and day surgery. This diverse focus requires exceptional expertise and adaptability, and the team consistently meets these demands with dedication and empathy.
In CLIC, they provide comprehensive cancer and leukemia care, supporting young patients and their families through treatment with skill and understanding. On Fistral Ward, the team addresses the unique needs of children with eating disorders and mental health challenges, creating a safe, supportive environment essential for recovery and well-being. Their commitment to patient advocacy ensures that every child and family feels valued and heard.
This team’s seamless collaboration with the multidisciplinary team (MDT) allows them to deliver a holistic approach, ensuring both physical and emotional needs are met. Their proactive and positive attitude, combined with a strong commitment to innovation and high-quality care in general paediatrics and day surgery, positions Fistral, CLIC and Harlyn Ward as a standout candidate for Team of the Year.
Neonatal Unit (Truro)
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
The Neonatal Unit has been nominated a few times over the years. Never more than now do they deserve this award. In 2019 the NNU went through the grief of a bereaved colleague which sent shockwaves through the team.
The team are under huge staffing pressures now and similar shockwaves are being felt. However, this tightknit family are pulling together!
With the demographics of our unit there are no other specialist staff to call upon. So, we are all doing much much more to keep our tiny people safe. We continue to deliver the best care with professionalism, diligence and good humour. We are all standing up for each other.
We are THE BEST and I am so proud to be a part of it.
The neonatal team are committed to investing time and effort to constantly evaluate and improve internal teamwork. They recognise and champion the variety of skills and experience that colleagues bring and are able to utilise this to improve care and outcomes for their patients and their families. They are a high functioning multidisciplinary team and pride themselves on their interactions with other teams. They are proud of the care they deliver and appreciate the efforts of everyone involved. They have achieved many great things and they deserve to use this nomination to celebrate their wonderful team.
The Neonatal Unit is such a family team. Everyone supports each other. We get through stressful shifts with each other & we make sure no team mate is left behind. All family’s that come through the NNU doors comments on how amazing our team is & I’m grateful to be apart of that!
The Neonatal Unit has been nominated a few times over the years. Never more than now do they deserve this award. In 2019 the NNU went through the grief of a bereaved colleague which sent shockwaves through the team.
The team are under huge staffing pressures now and similar shockwaves are being felt. However, this tightknit family are pulling together!
With the demographics of our unit there are no other specialist staff to call upon. So, we are all doing much much more to keep our tiny people safe. We continue to deliver the best care with professionalism, diligence and good humour. We are all standing up for each other.
We are THE BEST and I am so proud to be a part of it.
The neonatal team are committed to investing time and effort to constantly evaluate and improve internal teamwork. They recognise and champion the variety of skills and experience that colleagues bring and are able to utilise this to improve care and outcomes for their patients and their families. They are a high functioning multidisciplinary team and pride themselves on their interactions with other teams. They are proud of the care they deliver and appreciate the efforts of everyone involved. They have achieved many great things and they deserve to use this nomination to celebrate their wonderful team.
The Neonatal Unit is such a family team. Everyone supports each other. We get through stressful shifts with each other & we make sure no team mate is left behind. All family’s that come through the NNU doors comments on how amazing our team is & I’m grateful to be apart of that!
The Neonatal Unit at RCHT demonstrates exceptional team working within our multi disciplinary team. The team embodies the trust values, care and compassion, professionalism, with the MDT listening to each other, being honest and open, speaking up and learning and sharing information and future goals, working as a team. The Neonatal unit demonstrates advocacy for the families and babies and encompasses family integrated care. The team listen to families views and are supporting families and their babies by introducing ficare, introducing developmental care early on in the neonates admission, providing gold standard Baby friendly care and provide an excellent Neonatal infant feeding support to all families. Our education team is exemplary and provides weekly teaching Sim education, weekly education sessions, Clip shifts in providing support for all staff and those new to the trust and starting their QIS training. The team provide an outreach service which has grown and flourished and supports families from all over the county being able to have their baby home early with NGT feeds, Clept lip and palate support and O2 care. The Neonatal team also work closely with the Neonatal TC ward liaising and provide excellent care.
Paediatric Emergency Department (Torbay)
Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
I am delighted to nominate the Paediatric Emergency Department at Torbay for a PAFTA award, recognising their exceptional contributions to paediatric care through outstanding teamwork and advocacy.
The team at Torbay’s Paediatric Emergency Department exemplifies exceptional internal teamwork. Colleagues work seamlessly together, fostering an environment of collaboration and support. This cohesive approach not only enhances staff morale but also ensures that every child receives timely and effective care. Their commitment to shared goals and mutual respect is evident in their daily operations.
The department models exceptional interaction with other teams and the wider multidisciplinary team (MDT). They actively engage with medical, nursing, and allied health professionals to create comprehensive care plans that address the diverse needs of their patients. This collaborative spirit leads to better patient outcomes and reinforces the importance of holistic care within the healthcare setting.
The Paediatric Emergency Department is a steadfast advocate for children and young people. The team consistently strives to improve care delivered to patients and their families, implementing initiatives that enhance the overall experience in the emergency setting. They actively seek feedback from families and use this information to make meaningful changes, ensuring that the voices of patients and their families are heard and valued.
The team embodies the values of the RCPCH, demonstrating a commitment to integrity, respect, and professionalism in all their interactions. Their dedication to compassionate care and continuous improvement is reflected in their daily practice, fostering an environment that prioritises the well-being of every child.
The team within Torbay emergency department paediatric area have had a difficult few years with lots of changes of senior staff, team sickness, relocations of the area, working in areas not fit for purpose and the usual challenges that face all teams working in acute and emergency care. However, despite all of these challenges the team have continued to do their absolute best to advocate for their patients and their families and provide an exceptional level of care. This is demonstrated by almost daily positive social media compliments from parents highlighting the level of care and compassion from the staff towards both the children and their families as well as frequent compliments being sent directly to the area and the exec team. The team now beginning to find themselves in a more stable place and are making huge progress in teaching, training, safety and resilience and have great plans for the future. It is inspiring to see a team who despite so many challenges remain upbeat and positive in their desire to make emergency care for children the best it can be.
Torbay Paediatric ED nurses share a common goal to provide the highest quality of care to the patients.
Internal teamworking: Nurses have their own work stream to improve the care provided; mental health lead, feedback lead, sharing best practice . The team have moved into a new environment, taking on new working processes, Band 6 nurses taking on more of a oversight managerial role, requiring closer working with adult nursing lead, embracing change. The team demonstrate exceptional teamworking; regular huddles to ensure continuity of care, communicating ideas to improve services such as introducing prepared grab boxes (seizures, DKA, sepsis) and the flow of CAMHS patients via early referrals if medically suitable on admission.
Interaction with MDT: They strive to improve working relationships with the children’s ward, enabling ward nursing staff to experience shifts in Paeds A&E to become more familiar with each other but also to encourage awareness for the ward of the procedures and stressors of the department. Adult staff receive supernumerary support from nursing staff to ensure a competent flexible workforce to improve the service that we can provide to CYP and parents. The team model exceptional interaction with wider MDT, for example early referral to specialities, also advocating for the right care for the patient.
Advocates and improves care: Led by a passionate band 7 lead who is proactively working with other seniors within the hospital to make change, nurses advocate in an environment where they are often the paediatric expert, working with junior doctors who may be inexperienced in paediatric care, advising them of policies or procedures. Nursing skills have been developed to support medical staff such as PGD of salbutamol and auscultation of chests but also to initiate treatment early for patients to enable timely care.”
“Over the last few years this team has experienced a lot of challenges and changes. But the team comes together naturally and support each other constantly. The team work together to enhance the department and are all extremely passionate. The goal of the team is to enhance the department for the benefit of the patients and their families.
I have been welcomed into the team and I’m really proud to be part of the paeds ED family.
Since the many changes in the emergency department, the team look to be endlessly thriving. Each member of the team have been doing their part to ensure that they not only deliver the best care possible, they have been working to make improvements to the department and the general experiences of patients and their families. There have been many compliments by both patients and other teams to the positive changes that have been made, and I look forward to see what they do next.
Wildgoose Ward (Plymouth)
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Wildgoose is just amazing.
The team work is unmatched. We always look out for each other, support each other in both professional and personal lives.
Everyone on Wildgoose is friendly, approachable and work well individually and part of the MDT. We often get feedback from doctors and students how friendly and happy the staff are.
Our hearts are always in the right place and will be advocates for our patients and will challenge (nicely!) with what they think is correct.
Wildgoose is the best xx
This team!!! No matter how hard the day, how stressful the shift…..I know that this team will have my back and support me every step of the way. As a team they don’t fall apart when the going gets tough, they pull together and stand stronger.
This team not only works well together but they strongly advocate for their patients to not only ensure they get the best person centred care but also to advocate for their needs with other members of the MDT and social care to improve the care given.
This year more focus has been put on team debriefs when needed and Mental Health supervision sessions once a month, by being able to better support the teams wellbeing with this we are also working much more closely with our Camhs colleagues and the Medical teams are getting involved so that they can have a better understanding of the challenges faced on the acute ward with Mental Health patients.
This team is not just the nurses, it is a wonderful supportive manager, consultants and Registrars who strive for the best for the patients, HCA’s who are passionate and caring, domestic staff who know the ward inside out, ward clarks who go above and beyond, play specialists who bring fun and creativity and a vast number of other MDT members who just make this team amazing.
Wildgoose is the most welcoming, friendly team I have ever worked in. Always supportive and go the extra mile to help and support each other. Always friendly and smiley and positive. No matter how my shift has been, I always leave with a smile on my face for being part of this wonderful team!
Wildgoose is a fantastic team. They pull together to meet the needs of their complex patient needs. They are supportive of each other keeps check on how the other staffs are coping. They come across some very challenging behaviour and take it all in their stride doing additional shifts to ensure the ward is safe. They also look after oncology patients helping them through diagnosis to treatment and sometimes terminal care. All the members of the team whatever their grade of job role are appreciated and valued. Well done Wildgoose
Wildgoose has to get my vote for team of the year! It is a joy to be apart of this team, everyone is so supportive, we work together to ensure our patients and families receive the best care! Not only does the team work collaboratively together but the enthusiasm and excellent communication shown by everyone is inspiring!
The team went through another tough few months, having the support from one another as well as management really showed what we are all about!
Due to these tough experiences it has brought the team even closer together. We aren’t just colleagues, wildgoose is a family! You realise what a fantastic team you have when each and every person is outstanding with lots of compassion
I’m proud to be a part of Wildgoose team!
My nomination goes to team Wildgoose for their exceptional teamwork this year.
The team has embraced another tough year with an unfortunate increase in long-term sickness and infilled maternity vacancy. This has caused a lot of extra pressure on the staff and shifts are often left short, but the team come together and Through their own resilience, tenacity and team ethos they provide excellent care to the patients and each other
Wildgoose team have dealt with the increase in patients admitted in mental health crisis and suffering from eating disorders. The team continues to adapt to these situations and support the young people as best they can by treating each patient as an individual, embracing diversity and always ensuring the voice of the child is heard
The Team are amazing at supporting new staff, preceptee’s and student nurses/paramedics and have recently received positive feedback around the support and learning opportunities the team provide.
The team has really worked hard on developing themselves and others by learning new skills and improving on skills they already have to provide best practice.
I have had the pleasure of being seconded into the ward manager position on wildgoose and Despite all the challenges this year the Wildgoose team have helped make my job easier and have been a great support to me.
Our ability to encourage and support each other is why I feel the fabulous Wildgoose team are deserving of this award.
Started working with the team after 2 years on the bank. They have welcomed me into the family and have been so supportive. This ward is a busy ward and we have to provide a lot of mental health. The team has each others back, and the family like atmosphere and support makes it so much easier when the days are hard. I love this team
wildgoose have an amazing team who always work together to provide an exellent service to both the children parents and carers dispite been short staffed and very busy at time . wildgoose offer support from outside services were possible and work along side teams to improve the care of our patient.
Wildgoose Ward should be recognised as Team of the Year for its outstanding commitment to patient care and collaboration. Our dedicated team consistently goes above and beyond to support one another and our patients.
Moreover, Wildgoose Ward has shown exceptional resilience in the face of challenges, especially during high-pressure situations. Our ability to adapt and maintain a high standard of care is a testament.
Wildgoose ward is a brilliant place to work. As a team we really pull through together when the times get difficult and acuity gets high. We support one another whilst having fun when working also. I am so grateful to be part of this Wildgoose family and thank everyone who has helped me settle and thoroughly enjoy working there the last 4 years.
Wildgoose Ward is often known across level 12 as a tricky ward to work on. We look after patients with a large mix of conditions which can sometimes be difficult but also very rewarding. Our staff support each other in a way that I have not seen elsewhere with both professional and personal matters. Our work often involves having to fight and advocate for those who cannot do so themselves. We have had many difficult times but we come together well every time to provide the best care possible. All staff members attend MDT’s to liaise with different professionals to ensure continuity of care and to provide timely and safe discharges. Our team is widely known across level 12 as the most nurturing to newly qualified nurses and the most supportive team, which is why I believe we deserve this nomination.
Wildgoose Ward is the definition of the word team. We all have a common goal which is to provide the best care for our patients and families and to do that we have to work together. Laura is our amazing manager who leads and supports the team, advocating for us when the ward has been challenging, helping clinically and boosting moral at times too. All our band 6 nurses bring experience, confidence and a willingness to teach and develop their skills to benift others. We have good communication skills and a mutual respect for each other. We also enjoy social events which help build positive relationships.
Love being part of Team Goose!
We are a ward that are incredibly supportive of each other from domestic staff right up to ward manager .. the past several years have been incredibly hard . We have have extreme circumstances that have pushed staff to their limits , meaning that we have had to rely on each other , be there to support , protect , defend each other when situations have become overwhelming . We have developed a close bond , and we meet problems together . We check up on each other . And whenever we can we enjoy having a good laugh together . Can’t imagine working with any other team
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Team
PAFTAs 