NNUH nurses win Chief Nursing Officer's award
Nurses from the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital last night won the prestigious Chief Nursing Officer's award in the Nursing Times awards final held in London.
The Chief Nursing Officer's award was chosen by Dame Christine Beasley and award sponsor NHS Derbyshire County director of nursing and quality Maggie Boyd from among the winners of the 14 other award categories.
It recognised six years of work to improve the care received by people with learning difficulties which culminated in the recent appointment of a dedicated learning disabilities nurse. The judging panel said: “The winner showed exceptional leadership in supporting learning disabilities in acute settings. “The determination and commitment has also resulted in investments paying for themselves. This model could also be very easily transferred to other acute hospitals which is why it stood out.”
NNUH was the winner for work on improving care in an acute hospital for people with a learning difficulties. Since 2006, the trust has developed the care pathways for people with learning difficulties through staff education, working with advocacy groups, Norfolk learning difficulties services and carer organisations.
Nine hundred staff are trained on learning difficulties each year, signs have been improved with input from people with learning difficulties, and personal health information books assist in the integrated delivery of care. A DVD about the hospital was planned, acted and produced by and for people with learning difficulties. Benefits include shorter lengths of stay, fewer complaints and better health outcomes.
The NNUH team, Pamela McCarthy, Carol Edwards, Stephanie Read and Ben Mills, also won the Nursing Times Patient Pathway Award for the work done to improve acute hospital services for people with learning difficulties.
Carol Edwards, recently retired deputy director of nursing at NNUH, said “We are delighted to have won these awards. A huge amount of work has gone on across our hospitals and has brought real benefits to patients with learning difficulties. We're very proud to have these achievements recognised in this way.”
Last year the Neonatal nursing team at NNUH won the Nursing Times 2009 award for Team of the Year for their work with the University of East Anglia School of Nursing and Midwifery and Quidenham Hospice.
The Communications team at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital last night also won a Chartered Institute of Public Relations Pride award for the hospital magazine, The Pulse . The Pulse won the Silver award in the category of Best Magazine in the East Anglian final.
Rachael Paddick, Chair of CIPR East Anglia, said: “Being named as a CIPR PRide Award winner is a fantastic achievement and I congratulate all of this year's winners.”