THE high calibre of nursing and midwifery staff within the Western Health and Social Care Trust (Western Trust) was celebrated this week at the Trust’s first annual Nursing and Midwifery Awards.
The event, held in the Waterfoot Hotel, Derry honoured the Trust’s 5,000 hospital and community based nurses, midwives and health visitors and recognised their contribution to local health and social care.
There were eight categories recognising many disciplines.
These included individual community based Healthcare Support Worker, best Hospital Team, the nurse leading in best practice cancer care and the individual who has dedicated many years to the Trust’s nursing or midwifery service.
The award categories were designed in such a way to ensure nurses, midwives and health visitors across the Trust area could be nominated by their nurse colleagues, doctors and other members of staff, with the input of patients and service users.
Western Trust Chief Executive, Elaine Way CBE and Executive Director of Nursing, Alan Corry-Finn presented the awards. Opening the ceremony Elaine Way paid tribute to the Trust’s nurses, midwives and health visitors, she said:
“When I started in the Western Trust nurses regarded themselves as handmaidens to doctors. This is most certainly not the case today. All of our nurses are now educated to degree standard and many develop enhanced skills throughout their careers, continually seeking out every opportunity for development and growth.
“We are also very fortunate to have such influential nurse leaders and managers within the Trust driving forward changes to ensure best clinical practice and excellent standards of care for our patients.”
Elaine added: “The challenges affecting health and social care are well-documented, yet we are lucky to have nurses whose skills and expertise are in demand right across the world.
“Despite such challenges, our nurses and midwives continue to be committed to improving services and care for their patients. My congratulations to all our winners and those highly commended, they are a credit to the Western Trust and to their profession.”
The final two awards were dedicated to nurses who had been with the Western Trust for decades, dedicating their entire careers to the nursing and midwifery service and to bettering patient care.
Judy Houlahan, Head of Secondary Care was awarded the Executive Director of Nurses Award for her significant contribution to the development of nursing and midwifery standards and practice.
Kate McDaid, Assistant Director of Women and Children’s Services and former midwife at Altnagelvin Hospital was aptly awarded the Life Time Achievement Award. Kate has dedicated almost 40 years to midwifery in the Trust, leading the service to be the third best in the UK in 2015.
Kate retires from the Western Trust at the end of March 2016, during her acceptance speech she spoke of how a family experience was the motive behind her career choice and how the values instilled in her as a young child were carried through her life and into her profession.
Alan Corry-Finn, Western Trust Executive Director of Nursing said: “The Nursing and Midwifery Awards are about recognising the excellent and diverse work that takes place in the Nursing profession and celebrates the many outstanding achievements of nurses and midwives across the Western Trust.
“So many people from the young to the very old have at some stage been supported by a nurse who has gone that extra mile to make a difference to their lives.
“These awards highlight their work and recognise the positive impact they have on their colleagues, the profession as a whole and ultimately, the patient.”
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