Mid Ulster success at RCN Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year Awards

Represented by specialist palliative care nurses Lisa Cassidy and Lynda Cox at the event, the team that provides specialist palliative care advice and support to patients and their loved ones by guiding them through their palliative and end of life care journey, relieving anxiety and distress during a difficult and uncertain time in their lives. The team supports young families who are dealing with the distress of losing a parent and provides pre-bereavement support.

Their nominator says: “Being a nurse within specialist palliative care is a challenging role, but one of the most rewarding and privileged jobs in the world”.

Cahal Bradley, from Magherafelt, was joint winner of the Team Manager Award, sponsored by the HSC Clinical Education Centre and Business Services Organisation. Cahal, who is a charge nurse, manages a stroke unit at Antrim Area Hospital and was nominated for his exceptional achievements in leading a team that has improved patient safety and care standards by reducing in-patient falls.

Cahal’s nurse-led initiative has improved patient outcomes by developing staff skills and making it clear that preventing falls is ‘everyone’s business’. The number of falls within the unit reduced by 43% in the first six months, while radiology requests fell by 44%. Cahal’s nominator says: “He has created an environment in which clinical excellence flourishes, ensuring high standards of patient-centred care. He is a wonderful advocate and ambassador for patients.”

Kerrie Sweeney and Lisa Lyons from the Northern Trust’s haematology nursing team won the Cancer Nurse Award sponsored by Macmillan Cancer Support. They were nominated for developing a person-centred service and nurse-led clinics to ease pressures on the system. Nurse-led prescribing clinics and a ‘two-stop’ model have reduced waiting times from over four hours to under one hour.

The judging panel commended the team’s commitment to improving practice and service delivery, as well as the transformational person-centred leadership provided by Lisa and Kerrie.

Caroline Diamond, Assistant Director of Women’s Services and Head of Midwifery at the Northern Health and Social Care Trust won the Directors of Nursing Award. Caroline was nominated for her role in leading the centralisation of the maternity service in the Northern Trust. Caroline designed a number of service options before consulting staff and the public with her nominator saying that: “Caroline’s leadership has resulted in seamless and effective change, with women’s interests at its heart”.

The overall winner of the RCN Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year Award 2024 was Edith Donnelly, an advanced nurse practitioner based in the Southern Trust who was awarded for her work in improving care for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

Edith recognised a gap in service provision for people living with HFpEF and identified the need to treat them early. She has made an immeasurable impact on this group of patients who are now being correctly diagnosed with Edith providing holistic and person-centred assessment, treatment, education and follow-up. Patients are experiencing lower hospital admissions and a better quality of life as a result. Many of these patients would otherwise have gone unrecognised and undertreated.

Edith’s nominator says that patients feel able to engage with her service and make decisions about their care and says Edith “worked tirelessly and passionately for this group of patients, seeing the human story behind every person who walked through her door”, practising “with knowledge, compassion and empathy”.

Professor Donna Fitzsimons from Queen’s University, Belfast won the prestigious Kathleen Robb Award for outstanding contribution to nursing, sponsored by the Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt paid tribute to the nursing profession. He said: “I want to thank all of you for your contribution to our health service and I am delighted to pay tribute to some of the extraordinary individuals within the nursing profession. You play such a positive role in the lives of so many here in Northern Ireland.

“Your hard work fully deserves the recognition that this awards ceremony brings and I was truly honoured to be part of the RCN Nurse of the Year celebrations. I and my department are committed to supporting and valuing our nurses and health care support workers, and providing them with the respect, resources and recognition they so rightfully deserve.”

RCN Northern Ireland Executive Director, Rita Devlin added: “Edith has made a huge impact in leading and developing this service for patients with this type of heart failure. This nurse-led service is an outstanding example of the ways in which nurses across Northern Ireland are providing services which they have designed, and which are improving patient care. Edith’s commitment to her patients is inspirational.

“Each year these awards showcase the skills and expertise we have in Northern Ireland and how nursing staff are striving to deliver the highest quality care and service to patients.

“Many congratulations to all our finalists who have demonstrated the very best of nursing in Northern Ireland.”