MONDAY, 15 APRIL, 2024

Photographs attached: 1 – The CEYPS team, 2 – The CAMHS ID team, 3 – Gemma Walker, 4 – Denise Harrison

Tayside nurses shortlisted in four categories at national awards

Nursing staff and teams from across a range of NHS Tayside services have been recognised for their exceptional contributions to nursing in Scotland.

NHS Tayside has four finalists in the Royal College of Nursing Scotland Nurse of the Year Awards 2024.

The Care Experienced Young People’s Service (CEYPS) has been shortlisted for the Children’s Nursing and Midwifery Award, which recognises those who have made an outstanding contribution to the care of children or young people or the care of mothers-to-be and new parents.

The team of nurses and midwives is based in Dundee and provides care, support and advice to children and young people up to the age of 26 who are care experienced. The CEYPS works closely with social workers, school nurses, doctors and other professionals to support access to and increase engagement with health services, while also offering support on a range of health-related topics such as sexual health, emotional and mental wellbeing.

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Intellectual Disability (CAMHS ID) Outpatient Nursing Team is a finalist in the Learning Disability Nursing category. This award recognises those who have succeeded in raising the standards of care for their patients and clients and have made an outstanding contribution to the care of service users.

The CAMHS ID team was created to improve access to assessment and treatment for children and young people with intellectual disabilities. The multi-disciplinary team has worked together to enhance collaboration between various other services and organisations, and has implemented person-centred evidence-based care. This work has shown significant improvements including reduced waiting times, increased access to services, and better outcomes for patients, alongside meeting the key objective for the Scottish Government to address health inequalities for this often-marginalised group.

Healthcare support worker Gemma Walker, who is an associate practice educator in the Practice Development Team, has made the top three in the Nursing Support Worker of the Year Award. This category is aimed at celebrating those who have made an outstanding contribution to the care of patients or residents in their nursing support worker role.

In her role at Ninewells Hospital, Gemma provides induction, development and skills training to healthcare support workers (HCSWs) across various areas. She emphasises person-centeredness and kindness in her work, and has been instrumental in developing the role of assistant practitioners. Gemma's contributions have led to innovative ways of working and have supported learning and development within the team. 

Representing NHS Tayside in the People’s Choice Award is Denise Harrison, who is a GP practice nurse at Brechin Health Centre. The People’s Choice Award is the public’s opportunity to thank a nurse, midwife or nursing support worker who has made a difference to their, or a loved one’s, care.

Denise worked tirelessly to support patients in the Brechin area who were affected during Storm Babet, providing care and treatment to people who were moved to hotels due to severe flooding. She also set up a bereavement café in the health centre for patients who are struggling to cope with the loss of a loved one. This was as a result of her own personal experience of losing her husband to cancer.

NHS Tayside Nurse Director Claire Pearce said, “I’m absolutely delighted that so many of our fantastic nursing and midwifery staff have been shortlisted in these awards. This is excellent recognition for the amazing work that they do every day for the people of Tayside and I’m so proud to see them celebrated in this way.

“These nominations represent a small number of the many incredible nursing staff working across a wide range of services in NHS Tayside, from maternity and children’s services right through to adult specialties and older people’s services. We are so fortunate to have such dedicated nursing staff and teams and I wish all of our finalists the best of luck at the awards ceremony.”

The RCN Scotland Nurse of the Year Awards spotlight excellence in Scottish nursing, acknowledging, highlighting and celebrating the unwavering commitment and exceptional professional care provided by our nursing staff.

The categories encompass various nursing specialties, acknowledging the indispensable contributions of registered nurses, nursing support workers, broader nursing teams and nursing students. They also recognise the innovation, leadership and dedication to learning displayed within the nursing community.

Contact:

Louise Wilson

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 740718