RCN Representatives of the Year 2009
Representatives of the Year awards commemorate the hard work, dedication and outstanding commitment shown by the RCN's steward, safety and learning representatives.
Read the winners' stories here:
Gina Shaw - RCN Steward of the year
Tony Sawyer - RCN Safety representative of the year
RCN Learning representatives of the year
Marva Duncan
Beverley Hernandez
Gina Shaw - RCN Steward of the year
Working in children's nursing for almost 40 years, Gina Shaw has a great sense of the need for justice and an intolerance of injustice which shines through everything she does. Gina currently has a lead role on the Service Improvement team at Alder Hey, was a co-lead in the implementation of Agenda for Change and is Environment Champion of the Trust.
"Approachable, always willing to help and responsive to the needs of staff she has represented or advised" is how she is described by those who come into contact with her. Her particular skill is her ability to utilise her listening and communication skills to maintain good working relationships, staying calm and reasonable even in situations of conflict and disagreement.
Gina endeavours to analyse, learn from and improve upon things - key skills for a steward - ensuring she can make changes to practices and policies and work well with management benefitting RCN members, patients and the NHS as a whole.
Meticulous in her preparation for representation, she leaves no stone unturned and "gives her all to everybody". The staff she represents are assured of her support and belief in the right to get a fair hearing.
The work of a steward can, at times, seem a thankless job, but Gina remains measured, realistic and cheerful at all times. Her workload as a steward recently involved nine meetings in one week but this did not dent Gina's enthusiasm and energy.
Tony Sawyer - RCN Safety representative of the year
Tony has made safety training available to all employees and made health and safety understandable by demystifying the subject, tailoring health and safety issues to the job role and individual. Tony is often heard to say "You be good at being a nurse, my role is to support you."
His natural good humour and enthusiasm is infectious, which helps enormously when encouraging personal development amongst staff members. Tony also takes health and safety issues to the matron or directors as appropriate on behalf of members.
He ensures fair play between management and other levels of employees without hidden agendas. He works hard to resolve workplace health and safety issues or disputes and has fought and won three claims to date. Negotiating and representing health and safety interests and making representations on behalf of members is a day to day role for Tony who sits on the Park House Court management board.
If asked about something, Tony is always the first to provide appropriate help and find the answer to the question - a key skill in a safety representative. Tony promotes health and safety in the workplace through regular workshops, including most recently infection control, level three health and safety, and level three food safety. There have been many successes to date including Merit passes.
A recent audit by Workboost Wales, sponsored by the Welsh Assembly Government and HSE, stated in their letter that they could not find room for improvement which reflects the high regard for Tony's work.
RCN Learning representatives of the year
Marva Duncan
In her role as learning representative, staff nurse Marva Duncan has been motivating and supporting her colleagues at BMI Park Hospital; taking on multiple roles including student co-ordinator and moving and handling co-ordinator.
She has given advice to staff at the East Midland branch about pay and redundancy issues, in particular during the hospital's restructure, and has worked hard to recruit health care assistants to join the RCN, supporting them to complete their NVQ levels two and three programmes with one HCA going on to become an NVQ assessor.
Marva has facilitated and organised workshops by inviting branch members to talk about the benefits of joining the RCN.
Gaining the support of her Director of Nursing, Marva has been arranging CPD programmes for all the staff at the hospital, raising the profile of the RCN in the independent sector of health care. Completing the Support Learning in Practice module at degree level at Nottingham University has increased her knowledge of the different learning styles of students and colleagues providing more effective facilitation of learning for staff.
She has developed and implemented an induction programme for students on their practical placement at the Park Hospital. Part of the induction is used to signpost new students to various resources provided by the RCN. She co-ordinated the mapping of the NMC Standards of Proficiency for Mentors of first, second, and third year students which is used in conjunction with the student's assessment of practice record on placement. The mapping helps the mentors to understand what is required as evidence for the student's portfolio.
Marva is also the Moving and Handling Co-ordinator at the hospital. The teaching of both clinical and non clinical staff safe lifting techniques and safe use of equipment to prevent back injury has enabled staff to be proactive, knowing their own responsibilities and that of their employer under the Moving & Handling Operations Regulations.
It is clear to see the effort Marva has put into establishing her role as a RCN Learning Representative and improving the learning of others within the independent sector. She is an inspiration to others working within the independent sector.
Beverley Hernandez
Beverley has made a considerable contribution both to the RCN South West region and to staff and patients at Bath Clinic, part of BMI Healthcare where she works full time as a sister managing a Day Care Unit.
Within the hospital she has mentored three HCAs to NVQ level three, three ward clerks for NVQ Customer Care awards and has contributed to the workplace learning plans. She is well known for her ability to give sound guidance to staff seeking advice and acts as a mentor.
She has driven the RCN Nutrition Now and Dignity campaigns arranging presentations by the RCN for staff, supported Branch Study days and accompanied HCAs to RCN study days on accountability, delegation and responsibility. Her passion for competency based training and the development of a package of competencies for HCAs has encouraged HCAs to achieve higher levels of qualifications and for two, to progress to nurse training. Her sheer determination and persuasive powers have helped to influence registered nurses to embrace the role of the HCA within nursing teams.
In addition to her work with HCAs, Beverley's liaison between the RCN and the independent sector is exemplary. She has attended the Independent Steering Group, representing BMI Healthcare at corporate level in discussions with the RCN, attended the Learning Rep conference and held the branch vice chair for two years as well as organised local RCN membership meetings on site annually.
Her achievements over the last year - much of which have been carried out in her own personal time - have impacted on enhanced patient care and benefited nursing staff, making Beverley a worthy recipient of Learning Representative of the Year.