Specialist Nurse up for innovation award

A Rheumatology Specialist Nurse from the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH) has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Nursing Standard’s Nurse Awards 2013.

Heather Hasthorpe is a finalist in the ‘Innovation in a Speciality’ category based on the findings of her recently completed MSc Advanced Practice in Nursing research and service evaluation work which she carried out in the Rheumatology Outpatients department at NNUH. On Wednesday 9th January Heather is delivering a presentation at the Royal College of Nursing about her work, and the winner will be announced in an award ceremony in London on 12th March.

Heather has been recognised after she launched a new Nurse Led Treatment Escalation Clinic in late 2010 for newly diagnosed adult Rheumatoid Arthritis patients who needed to be seen earlier for aggressive treatment to improve their clinical outcomes. The new clinic ensures patients are seen at regular intervals and their treatment escalated accordingly, to control and reduce the potentially destructive effects of Rheumatoid Arthritis. An evaluation of the clinic was carried out after one year and the data revealed a significant improvement in patients clinical outcomes and that the new service was cost effective and patient focussed, with 98% of patients stating they felt supported, were treated with dignity and felt the clinic was a vital aspect of their rheumatology care.

Heather said: “The new clinic’s been so successful that we now run an additional two clinics throughout the week, helping even more patients and I would like to set up a clinic in Cromer for North Norfolk patients to access this service. The nomination has helped raise the profile of the disease and I’m thrilled to be one of the two finalists in this category.”