RCN Scotland Nurse of the Year Awards: NHS Forth Valley has eight finalists in prestigious awards

The first ever RCN Scotland Nurse of the Year Awards see NHS Forth Valley top of the leader board for the highest number of finalists. Eight local staff, students and teams have been selected as finalists in six of the 12 categories.

In the Inspiring Excellence: Nursing Innovation and Research category Hazel Somerville, gender based violence and sexual assault service lead, and Jennie Young, team lead for adult psychological therapy services, are nominated for their work in developing a cervical screening service for women who have experienced sexual trauma, providing reassurance and support through links with smear takers and specially trained trauma therapists.

The Leadership Award sees Linda McAuslan, lead nurse for psychological therapies/manager for adult psychological therapies service, nominated for her commitment to staff wellbeing, especially through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Laura McCann, community learning disability senior charge nurse at the Falkirk learning disability team is nominated for the Learning Disability Nursing Award. She leads a programme to support people with a learning disability to develop healthy relationships and is currently working to help those who have been exposed to gender-based violence.

University of Stirling graduate Georgie McLachlan, now working as a community psychiatric nurse, is shortlisted for Nursing Student of the Year. During her placement at Livilands Resource Centre at Stirling Health and Care Village, Georgie was praised for using her initiative to enhance patient care and was involved in a pilot project to help identify people at risk of psychosis.

In the Nursing Support Worker of the Year category Alison O’Neill, CAMHS healthcare support worker/nursing assistant at Stirling Community Hospital is shortlisted for her work with colleagues to overhaul treatment areas to make them better for patients. Also shortlisted in this category is Janet Wilson, who works at Loch View in Larbert and has been a nursing support worker for 20 years. She has been recognised for her care and compassion, as well as always advocating for those in her care.

Finalists in the Nursing Team of the Year Award are the staff at Unit 5 Falkirk Community Hospital. Pre-pandemic it was a 16-bedded ward for patients with dementia awaiting transfer to a nursing home. During the Covid-19 pandemic it changed to a 21-bedded unit for patients with dementia and prolonged delirium. Staff noticed some patients were becoming withdrawn so secured funding for an activity co-ordinator. This enabled more time to be spent with patients on aone-to-one basis helping discover likes and dislikes which could be incorporated into a care plan.

Congratulating the finalists, NHS Forth Valley’s executive nurse director, Professor Frances Dodd, said: “I am delighted so many of our local nursing staff have been selected as finalists in these prestigious awards as it’s a fantastic achievement. All the finalists demonstrate how nursing staff go the extra mile on a daily basis to provide high quality care and services.”

The winners of each award will be announced at an awards ceremony in Edinburgh on Wednesday, June 21.