And the winner was…
Jackie Rees, Nurse Consultant
A nurse consultant for bladder and bowel care for over 20 years, Jackie ‘lit the spark’ and worked tirelessly to transform a small community continence service (inherited by Newcastle Hospitals from primary care trust days) into the specialist service it is today.
Her enthusiasm speaks volumes by the team’s notable list of achievements under Jackie’s leadership including setting up the service to offer assessment and treatment to patients for bladder and bowel health – rather than giving products as a first line treatment – and fostering collaborative working with many specialisms to promote continence care not incontinence management.
She has developed shared goals with our wider healthcare partners to provide education, prescribing and gold standard models of care, worked on quality improvement projects with positive patient outcomes and been instrumental in raising awareness of continence care and problem solving across the country.
This small but perfectly formed team of two nurses is now a team of four working across both acute and community – a pattern unique to us – and we are the only trust that has a service working across primary and secondary care, a testament to what Jackie has given to the service, her patients and colleagues both internally and externally.
Finalist – Margaret Burns, Staff Nurse
What makes a good nurse?
Compassion, commitment, empathy, kindness, care, dedication, professionalism, having values and high standards?
Working as a staff nurse in our busy eye outpatient department for more than 25 years – and more than double that time devoted to nursing in the NHS – Margaret has undoubtedly left a lasting imprint on the hearts of both patients and colleagues as these were just some of the words used to describe her.
On a typical day as many as 350 people visit outpatients for a huge variety of conditions. Some have complex needs, others are elderly and scared, but the common bond, for many, is Margaret who has that wonderful skill to see and treat everyone as an individual without bias or judgement and handle any situation with composure and patience.
Whether it’s a patient undergoing an invasive procedure, helping to organise transport home, or being a mentor to student nurses, Margaret’s positive and selfless attitude make her a role model to anyone working in the NHS.
Finalist – Khadija Mohamed, Nurse Specialist
When a patient takes the time to write a very long – and moving – award nomination about a member of staff you know they are special and epitomise what exceptional health care is about.
Khadija, a nurse specialist in renal transplantation, first met this patient, who had a complex medical history, when she started dialysis in 2013 and continued to visit ward 31 for the next eight years for her treatment.
Despite having ‘high levels of anxiety and feeling out of control regularly’ the patient spoke in detail about how she felt enabled, empowered and informed on all aspects of her care – particularly as she’d had a failed transplant followed by a successful one – and that support was also extended to other family members.
“Khadija’s a brilliant asset for us patients especially the ones like me who are a bit needy and require more information than most and for her to be recognised for her kindness, patience, expert knowledge and passion would be so justified.”
Eilis Moody, Nurse Consultant
With almost 30 years in the field of reproductive medicine, Eilis is a highly accomplished fertility nurse consultant who, throughout her career, has focussed on improving quality of care with a significant role in establishing Newcastle Fertility Centre as one of the UK’s leading units.
Her contribution to the service is impressive and she has developed a highly skilled nursing workforce, supporting colleagues in expanding their roles in areas such as egg retrieval, treatment consent, and nurse-led outpatient consultations which in turn has enhanced patient experience.
Eilis’s skill set means she is one of few fertility nurses who can perform advanced treatments like ultrasound scanning, egg retrieval, and ultrasound-guided embryo transfer and her expertise also extends to carrying out transvaginal oocyte retrieval (a specialist procedure) and coordinating the mitochondrial donation program.
But her influence also extends beyond the workplace into research and shaping national strategy. Eilis’s passion and commitment make her a true leader and an inspirational role model who has made a significant impact on the lives of patients and elevated the standard of fertility care provided by her team.
