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The nature of cancer care is changing as new treatments improve survival rates. However, cancer remains a devastating disease and patients need both skilled clinical care and intensive support. Nurses are the linchpin of the multidisciplinary cancer care team, able to coordinate care and ensure patients move swiftly along the pathway to receive timely diagnosis and treatment. They are also the professionals patients are likely to turn to for emotional and practical support, and need to be able to offer this in a compassionate manner and adapt it to individual patients’ needs. Entrants to this award can be individuals or teams from the NHS or independent sector. They should be able to demonstrate performance that has contributed to a significant improvement in the quality of cancer care. Examples might include initiatives to:
The burden of cardiac disease on both patients and the healthcare budget is significant and growing. Nurses provide care to patients with cardiac problems at every stage of the patient pathway, and can make a huge difference to their health and quality of life. Entries for this category can be from individuals or teams in the NHS or independent sector and from any care setting. Entrants must have undertaken an initiative that has demonstrably improved care for cardiac patients. Examples might include initiatives to:
As life expectancy increases so does the number of older people with complex healthcare needs. These patients are cared for in virtually all healthcare settings and the vast majority of nurses will be involved in caring for them at some time. The Francis Report into failings at Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust revealed distressing stories about older people's experiences of healthcare. This award seeks to show the other story by highlighting the excellent care that is often ignored. It is open to individual nurses or teams working in any setting in the NHS or independent sector who have developed initiatives specifically to ensure older people receive the best possible care or retain their health and independence. Examples might include initiatives to:
Health and wellbeing in the early years of life has an impact on health in adulthood so the delivery of quality care is crucial through birth to the teenage years. Nurses working in these specialities provide care in partnership with families and need to be able to develop trusting relationships. Nurses working with children act as advocates for their patients and become trusted carers for children with long-term conditions, seeing them grow up, learn to take control of their own health and move on to adult services. This award is for NHS or independent sector nurses working with children from neonates to adolescents in any care setting. It will be awarded to a team or individual whose work with this client group shows innovation and real evidence of a family-centred approach or a commitment to empowering adolescents or ensuring they receive age appropriate care. Examples might include initiatives to:
Bowel and bladder problems can have a devastating effect on quality of life and dignity, both for patients who are dependent on others due to physical or mental disability, and for those who are otherwise independent. This category rewards initiatives and innovations that promote continence, increase the effectiveness of care and improve the quality of life of people with these problems. It is open to individual nurses or teams working in acute care, the community - including nursing and residential homes - and those working in specialist continence services. Entries can be from individuals or teams from the NHS or independent sector who must be able to demonstrate how a change in practice has resulted in clear improvements in patients' or clients' continence or enhancement of their dignity through interventions that minimise the impact of continence problems. Innovations could include:
Nurses working in emergency and critical care deal with patients every day whose very survival depends on their skills and their abilities. These nurses need high levels of skill and expertise, and the ability to think and act quickly in a crisis. Entrants to this award can be individuals or teams from the NHS or independent sector. They should be able to demonstrate performance that has contributed to a significant improvement in the quality of patient care in emergency or critical care settings. Examples might include initiatives to:
Healthcare is about more than simply curing or managing conditions. It is also about maximising patients' dignity through the delivery of compassionate care. As the professionals with the most direct patient contact it is nurses who have the greatest ability to protect their patients' dignity. This award recognises initiatives that address aspects of care which compromise patient dignity or that ensure healthcare interventions do not unnecessarily compromise patients' privacy, independence or individuality. Examples might include initiatives to:
Promoting the health and wellness of the nursing workforce is essential to the long-term success of any healthcare provider. By reducing absenteeism and ensuring there is consistency in staffing levels and continuity of care, and ensuring staff are well-motivated and fit to practise, a health and wellbeing policy at work can improve overall standards of care. This award will recognise innovative projects to improve the health and emotional and physical wellbeing of the nursing workforce or wider staff groups. These projects might be across an entire organisation or more locally in individual wards, units or practices, and entries can be from trusts, independent healthcare providers and/or individual wards, units or practice. Enter Excellence in Supporting Staff Health and Wellbeing
Infection prevention and control remains a major challenge in healthcare. Nurses at all levels and in all specialties and environments are involved in developing initiatives aimed at preventing or minimising the spread of infection. This category aims to recognise initiatives that take an innovative approach to this important area of practice. It is open to general or infection prevention and control specialist nurses working in acute or community settings in the NHS or independent sector. Entrants should have implemented an initiative to improve practice within their immediate area or more widely across their organisation or community. They should be able to demonstrate clear outcomes be able to demonstrate that their initiative has changed practice or procedures and reduced risks to patients. Achievements could include innovative ways of:
People with learning disabilities are among the most vulnerable and excluded in society. Learning disabilities nurses have a unique role in supporting their clients to achieve their full potential and in breaking down barriers their clients may encounter that prevent them from participating in society. This category aims to recognise initiatives that take an innovative approach to this important area of practice. It is open to individual learning disability nurses or teams, working in acute or community settings in the NHS or independent sector. Entrants should be able to demonstrate the benefits of their work in terms of improved quality of life or increased independence of their patient or client group. Examples might include initiatives to:
Enter Learning Disabilities Nursing
Nurses working in primary and community settings need to be able to work independently, often in less than ideal settings and without access to the levels of support and equipment hospital nurses take for granted. Entries for this category can be from individuals or teams in the NHS or independent sector and from any primary or community care setting. Entrants must have undertaken an initiative that has improved patient care or the effectiveness of their service and has outcomes to demonstrate this. Examples might include initiatives to:
People with mental health problems need therapeutic interventions that increase their independence and/or empowering them to manage their condition and recognise triggers that may result in relapse or exacerbation. Their intensive involvement with the group means nurses make a huge contribution to the care of these patients and clients, whether in community or inpatient settings, working in general or specialist mental healthcare services. This award recognises individuals or teams who have developed initiatives that have improved the delivery of mental healthcare. Entrants can be from NHS or independent organisations and from any care setting. Entrants should be able to demonstrate the benefits of their work in terms of improved quality of life or increased independence of their patient or client group. Examples might include initiatives to:
The findings of the Francis Report into failings at Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust illustrate what happens when healthcare providers fail to see patient safety as a key priority. As the professionals with the greatest amount of patient contact, nurses play a vital role in ensuring patients’ safety at every stage in their care. This category is open to individuals or teams from the NHS or independent sector who have undertaken an initiative to address factors that place patients at risk and promote safety as an essential part of healthcare. Entrants should have clear outcomes demonstrating improvements in patient safety. Examples may include:
Entries should include clear outcomes demonstrating improvements in patient safety. Respiratory conditions, whether acute or long-term, affect every aspect of patients' lives - both physically and psychologically. Respiratory nurses make a profound difference by helping patients to minimise the effects of their condition and to reduce their risk of complications and exacerbations. This award recognises individual nurses or teams working in any setting who have improved the quality of care provided to patients with respiratory conditions. Examples might include: Examples may include:
High quality healthcare is a team effort, involving collaboration between colleagues. This is particularly important in the development and implementation of initiatives to improve healthcare delivery. This category recognises projects that demonstrate the value of teamwork and clearly show how an entire team has contributed to the development, its implementation and ongoing delivery and improvement. Entrants must be able to demonstrate the input of different team members and/or collaboration with other specialties, professions and/or services. They must also be able to demonstrate the benefits of their initiative to patient care or service delivery.
This important Award will be judged by the Chief Nursing Officers for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It aims to recognise an inspirational nurse leader who has made a significant positive impact on the nursing profession or healthcare provision at a regional or national level over a sustained period. We welcome entries from candidates themselves or nominations from those who wish to highlight a nurse from the NHS or independent sector who they believe merit this recognition. Enter Chief Nursing Officers' Award for Lifetime Achievement
Some nurses stand out from the moment they enter the profession. They are natural leaders whose motivation is to constantly improve the quality of their own practice and of the services they work in. Their caring natures ensure they will not only offer compassionate care themselves, but will demand it of those around them and raise concerns if it falls short. They have the capacity to develop essential nursing skills quickly, and the creativity to innovate and reshape services. Nurses like these will be a positive influence on the profession throughout their careers. This award aims to recognise a nurse who has been qualified for less than five years, and demonstrates exceptional qualities that embody the best of nursing and the leadership skills to inspire others to follow their example. Candidates must be able to demonstrate that they have put one or more of the 6Cs (below) into practice through an initiative to improve patient care:
We welcome entries from candidates themselves or nominations from those who wish to highlight a nurse from the NHS or independent sector who they believe merit this recognition.
One of the main conclusions to emerge from the public inquiry into failings at Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust is that clinical leaders have a fundamental role in ensuring the quality of nursing practice and patient care. The best community team leaders, ward sisters and charge nurses lead by example, providing their team with an excellent role model, demonstrating compassion and a commitment to ensuring their ward or unit offers the highest quality and safest care possible. They are aware of their patients’ needs and firm advocates on their behalf, understand the importance of informing and reassuring patients and relatives, and have the skills to lead, manage and motivate a team that is committed to offering excellent and compassionate care to all patients. This award aims to recognise an exceptional nurse leader who embodies these qualities. Any nurse, working in the community or in an acute environment who is leading a team of any size is eligible to apply. We welcome entries from candidates themselves or nominations from those who wish to highlight a leader from the NHS or independent sector who they believe merits this recognition. Enter Nurse Leader of the Year
There are thousands of excellent nurses working in the NHS and independent sector. However, a select few stand out as truly exceptional. Nursing Times Nurse of the Year Award aims to recognise an individual who has gone above and beyond what is expected of them in their day-to-day role. Candidates can be at any stage in their nursing career, but should have undertaken a piece of work on their own initiative that has required inspiration, determination and creativity. The work must have had tangible positive outcomes, such as demonstrable improvements in patient care or in the effectiveness of service provision. We welcome entries from candidates themselves or nominations from those who wish to highlight a nurse from the NHS or independent sector who they believe merit this recognition.
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