People's Choice Award

This is the Scottish public’s opportunity to thank a nurse, midwife or nursing support worker who has made a difference to their, or a loved one’s, care.

Patients, clients, residents or relatives can nominate a nurse, midwife or nursing support worker who they believe has made a difference and gone that extra mile to ensure the highest standards of care. 

Registered nurses, registered midwives and nursing support workers working within health and care service in Scotland. Entries will be accepted from patient and members of the public only.

The finalists in this category will be announced in The Sunday Post newspaper this Sunday 14 April.

Paediatric Haematology/Oncology Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, NHS Lothian

Edinburgh oncology nurse Fiona Bruce, works at the city’s Royal Hospital for Children and Young People while volunteering to give vital care to young cancer patients in Ghana. Along with Edinburgh oncologist Dr Emma Johnson, and other nursing colleagues, they have helped Ghanian child cancer medics set up what has become a leading children’s unit in Africa. The Edinburgh team are part of a global link of child oncology medics who work through UK charity World Child Cancer. Since twinning with Edinburgh’s children’s hospital Ghana now has seven hospitals giving childhood cancer treatment and care and five paediatric oncology doctors for the 1,300 children expected to develop cancer there annually. 11 years ago children’s cancer treatment was being given by a retired nurse in her 80s who drove an old bus a radius of 100 miles around the capital and thanks to Fiona and the rest of the Edinburgh team and their equally dedicated colleagues in Accra, they now have the gold standard child cancer treatment in West Africa and are training colleagues in other African countries.

Neonatal Practitioner (Now working as Diana Children’s Nurse, South East of Scotland), Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, NHS Lothian

At the time of nomination, Judith led the Paediatric Critical Care team at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh. Caring for babies and their families whilst creating as positive an experience as possible during which, as noted by her nomination, it was the most difficult and challenging time of their lives. Judith ensures that families understand that each and every child in her care is her and her team’s top priority. Working with her team she encourages staff to practice and acquire new skills in a safe manner to support the best care possible. Approaching care holistically, Judith knows that it is just as important to support the parents while caring for their children. One nominator applauded Judith’s breastfeeding guidance and emotional support while in hospital, saying Judith cannot be praised enough for her ability to care for people as individuals, families and lives instead of medical conditions.

Advanced Nurse Practitioner, NHS Highland Integrated Staff Bank, BASICS Responder (BSN124)

Henrietta Marriott is hailed as a life-saver in rural Scotland. An advanced nurse practitioner at Invergordon Community Hospital at weekends, she is also a Basics (British Association for Immediate Care Scotland) responder supporting the Scottish Ambulance Service. She is part of a Scotland-wide network of highly-trained professionals – doctors, advanced nurses and paramedic practitioners – who volunteer to attend 999 calls in remote and rural areas where ambulances may not be immediately available. Her patients can include seriously injured road accident victims, cardiac arrests, major falls, and potentially fatal sepsis. One call-out from Basics was to an injured hillwalker trapped and injured on the Sutherland hills. The temperature was barely above zero and the casualty was unable to move, with hypothermia a serious risk for him and his two climbing friends. Henrietta and her husband Patrick walked two miles up the hill with their emergency kit to assess and treat the patient on the remote hillside, evacuation was organised with the wonderful help and ingenuity of a local farmer. Other call-outs have involved car and motorbike accidents on the North Coast 500 route.

If you have any questions or queries regarding the awards, please get in touch by emailing scotlandnurseawards@rcn.org.uk

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