Sexual health nurse Claire Galloway wins RCN Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year 2012
Published: 15 June 2012
Claire Galloway won the RCN Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year Award 2012 at a ceremony held on Thursday 14 June.
Claire, who is clinical lead nurse for sexual health with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, fought off competition from five other finalists to receive the award for transforming and modernising the trust’s sexual health service, improving its performance, and increasing patients’ access to it. She was presented with the accolade by Health Minister Edwin Poots.
Faced with limited resources and demand exceeding capacity, Claire recognised that it was unacceptable for patients to be given appointments weeks in advance, so she introduced and delivered nurse-led clinics every morning on-site at Causeway Hospital. Clinic systems were changed to include walk-in clinics, which increased capacity and provided an easily accessible, responsive service for patients.
This service was the first in Northern Ireland to achieve the 48-hour access targets for all such referrals. Claire has also developed The Clinic, an innovative partnership with the Northern Regional College, to promote sexual health to young people and provide advice, treatment and testing on campus.
The judging panel for the award praised Claire for “going where others don’t want to go” and considered her project to be “a service improvement of major significance that promotes higher standards of care for patients”.
Runner-up on the evening was Mabel McFall, who is a peripatetic ward manager with the day surgery unit in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust. Mabel has been nominated for showing outstanding leadership and innovation following the reform of acute services in the trust. She introduced a theatre service working across two different sites, at Antrim Area and Whiteabbey hospitals. The judging panel was impressed by Mabel’s persistence, patient focus and team approach, underpinned by a commitment to safe and effective care.
Other winners on the night included Angela Patterson, who won the Patient’s Choice Award sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline. Angela is lead clinical nurse specialist in continence care at Bangor Hospital in the South Eastern Trust. She was nominated by a patient who paid tribute to Angela as “a practitioner I have come deeply to admire and respect for the total commitment to the work, for her superbly honed skills and for the humanity of her approach”.
An award to celebrate outstanding achievement in nursing, sponsored by Boerhinger Ingelheim, was presented to Elizabeth Henderson. Elizabeth is Nurse Director of the Northern Ireland Cancer Network and received the award for her exemplary leadership of, and contribution to, cancer nursing in Northern Ireland.
A new award was established this year to recognise the increasing influence of e-health in supporting nursing care in Northern Ireland. The Transforming Care with Technology Award, sponsored by TF3 Consortium, was won by Carol Patton. Carol is a British Heart Foundation heart failure specialist nurse with the Southern Health and Social Care Trust.
Commenting on the Awards, RCN Northern Ireland Director Janice Smyth said:
“Sexual infections in Northern Ireland have risen dramatically over the past few years, particularly amongst young people. Through her vision and ambition to drive forward change, Claire has turned around a service that now meets the needs of the people who use it.
“Despite continuing challenges and increased pressure on the health service, I am extremely encouraged by the excellence and innovation shown by nurses from across Northern Ireland, who are committed to improving services and care for patients.
“These awards demonstrate how nurses are in the perfect position to identify the need for change in hospitals and the community to bring about a more efficient and better service for the people of Northern Ireland.
“Congratulations to all of our winners. It is wonderful to see the talent that exists both within the profession at the moment as well as our students who are the nurses of the future.”
RCN Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year Award
Winner
Claire Galloway
Clinical lead nurse for sexual health
Northern Health and Social Care Trust
Runner-up
Mabel McFall
Peripatetic ward manager, day surgery unit
Northern Health and Social Care Trust
Patient’s Choice Award sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline
Winner
Angela Patterson
Lead clinical nurse specialist, bladder and bowel dysfunction
South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
Runner-up
Eileen Irwin
Senior practitioner of nursing
Northern Health and Social Care Trust
Team Manager Award sponsored by Pfizer
Winner
Mary Jordan
Health visiting team co-ordinator
South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
Runner-up
Kate McGoldrick
Practice education co-ordinator
Northern Health and Social Care Trust
Health Care Support Worker Award sponsored by the DHSSPS
Winner
Stephanie McConville
Health care assistant
Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice community service
Runner-up
Aishlene O’Neill
Health care assistant
Ashbrook Care Home, Coalisland
Chief Nursing Officer’s Award sponsored by the DHSSPS
Winner
Helena Phelan
Respiratory nurse specialist
Western Health and Social Care Trust
Runner-up
Adam Hanna and Padraig Dougan
Resuscitation officers
Northern Health and Social Care Trust
Public Health Award sponsored by the Public Health Agency and Health and Social Care Board
Winner
Margaret Goodwin
Occupational health nurse
VION Foods Ltd, Cookstown
Runner-up
Helen Johnson
Travel health nurse specialist
South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
Bamford Vision Award sponsored by the DHSSPS
Winner
John O’Grady
Nurse education consultant
HSC Clinical Education Centre
and Ann Butler
Senior nurse
Southern Health and Social Care Trust
Runner-up
Martin Creed and Deborah Boyle
Clinical nurse specialists, mental health and deafness service
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
Student Award sponsored by Queen’s University
Winner
Michelle Doherty
University of Ulster, Magee
Runner-up
Orla Matthews and Barry Magee
The Open University
Nursing Research Award sponsored by the University of Ulster
Winner
David Chaney
University of Ulster, Magee
Joint runners-up
Dorry McLaughlin
Lecturer in palliative care, Northern Ireland Hospice
Associate lecturer, School of Nursing, University of Ulster
Lisa Jeffers
University of Ulster, Jordanstown/Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
Transforming Care with Technology Award sponsored by TF3 Consortium
Winner
Carol Patton
British Heart Foundation heart failure specialist nurse
Southern Health and Social Care Trust
Runner-up
Roisin McGarrigle
Respiratory case manager
Western Health and Social Care Trust
Outstanding Achievement Award sponsored by Boerhinger Ingelheim
Winner
Elizabeth Henderson, Nurse Manager, Northern Ireland Cancer Network