RCN awards for local nurses

A duo of district nurses have been awarded '˜runner-up' in the prestigious RCN Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year Awards 2016.
Pictured at the RCN Nurse of the Year Awards are Charlotte McArdle, Chief Nursing Officer with runner-up award winners Marysia Graffin and Sarah Arthur, and Janet Davies, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the RCN.Photo by Aaron McCracken/HarrisonsPictured at the RCN Nurse of the Year Awards are Charlotte McArdle, Chief Nursing Officer with runner-up award winners Marysia Graffin and Sarah Arthur, and Janet Davies, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the RCN.Photo by Aaron McCracken/Harrisons
Pictured at the RCN Nurse of the Year Awards are Charlotte McArdle, Chief Nursing Officer with runner-up award winners Marysia Graffin and Sarah Arthur, and Janet Davies, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the RCN.Photo by Aaron McCracken/Harrisons

Sarah Arthur from Broughshane and Marysia Graffin from Portglenone, district nurses in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, were presented with their award by Chief Nursing Officer Charlotte McArdle for significantly improved efficiency and care for patients when they designed a dressing pack to carry out specialised wound care in the patient’s own home.

Sarah and Marysia were concerned that the number of individual items required to care for Hickman and PICC lines often resulted in not being adequately equipped to carry out the care required. Often they had to make several trips to the boot of their car and sometimes back to base for missing items.

They developed a pack which has improved infection control, reduced needle stick injuries, and improved efficiency by maximising the nurse’s time with patients. In addition, the development has made significant financial savings and promoted high standards of care in the patient’s own home.

Pictured L-R are: Jeremy Roache ( Open University), Jean Gilmour and Lorraine Crymble, runners-up in the Learning in Practice Award and Janice Smyth, Director of RCN NI.Photo by Aaron McCracken/Harrisons.Pictured L-R are: Jeremy Roache ( Open University), Jean Gilmour and Lorraine Crymble, runners-up in the Learning in Practice Award and Janice Smyth, Director of RCN NI.Photo by Aaron McCracken/Harrisons.
Pictured L-R are: Jeremy Roache ( Open University), Jean Gilmour and Lorraine Crymble, runners-up in the Learning in Practice Award and Janice Smyth, Director of RCN NI.Photo by Aaron McCracken/Harrisons.

The pair were among a number of local nurses who picked up awards during the special ceremony held recently at Hillsborough Castle.

Mark McGeachy, a health care assistant at Rose Martha Court Care Home in Ballymena, was runner-up in the Health Care Support Worker Award and was commended for his compassionate and caring attitude towards patients. Jean Gilmore from Ballymena and Lorraine Crymble from Carrick, were runner-up in the Learning in Practice Award and were commended for their mentorship of students and for successfully promoting infection prevention and control.

Margaret Kerr, from Randalstown, won the Practice Nurse award for her contribution to practice nursing at Antrim Health Centre over 26 years while David Olphert, from Antrim, Bereaved by Suicide Liaison Officer at Northern Trust was runner-up in the Public Health Award; and, Toni McAloon, from Antrim, won the Nursing Research Award.