Two Derry nurses have scooped top accolades at the prestigious Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year Awards.
Bernie Michaelides, from Eglinton, who is Head of Intermediate Care and lead nurse for adult community nursing in the Western Trust, was presented with the highly prestigious Nurse of the Year Award at the RCN (Royal College of Nursing) Awards.
Bernie was recognised for her instrumental involvement in developing the acute clinical intervention centre located at the Tyrone County Hospital in Omagh which treats approximately 60-100 patients each month who require intravenous treatments, such as antibiotics and blood transfusions.
The pioneering initiative has greatly reduced the need for patients to be admitted to the hospital.
So successful and beneficial is this service to the local community that the Western Trust has now opened an intervention centre in Derry and is also planning to progress this service in the Fermanagh area.
Joanne Breslin, a staff nurse at the Intensive Care and High Dependency Units at Altnagelvin Hospital, picked up the Patients Choice Award which is regarded as an important accolade as the nomination is provided by a patient or family in gratitude of receiving high quality care.
Joanne was put forward for an award by the son of one of Joanne’s patients who nominated her for her “true compassion, respect and dignity’” shown towards his mother.
The family of the patient were so moved with Joanne’s care and attention to them and to their mother that they felt she deserved praise and recognition.
The RCN awards annually recognise an individual’s commitment to improving standards of care and to learning and leadership and acknowledge nurses, midwives, nursing assistants from across Northern Ireland who make an exceptional contribution to their profession.
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