KGH nurses and midwife receive awards for outstanding care

Two nurses and a midwife from Kettering General Hospital have received DAISY Awards for the outstanding compassionate and sensitive care they have provided for patients.

They were nominated for their awards by patients as part of an international recognition programme that honours and celebrates the exceptional care that many nurses and midwives provide every day.

Since the scheme was launched at KGH in October 2020 some 305 patients, family members and carers have nominated nurses and midwives for the award and 29 have received it.

Yesterday (June 13) the chief executive of the DAISY Foundation, Dr Deb Zimmermann, visited KGH to present one the awards and to meet previous award winners and the KGH nursing and midwifery teams.

Recent winners include:

Midwife Lisa Loudon who was nominated for an award by one of her mums, Sian, from Irchester, who wrote: “There will never be enough words to thank Lisa or to even begin to describe the true difference she made to my care.

"Lisa has been supporting me during my fifth pregnancy.

"Sadly, my four previous pregnancies have resulted in loss, therefore this pregnancy involved lots of anxiety, worry, fear, grief and ‘what ifs’.

"However, Lisa helped deliver my son in a positive, person centred, trauma-informed way.

"She consistently went over and beyond to ensure that we were heard and listened too.

"Her compassion, sensitivity, and genuine kindness, will never be forgotten.”

ICU Nurse Kaitlin Barlow was nominated by Sarah Shelswell from Kettering for the support she provided with her daughter.

In her nomination she said: “During the hardest time a mother could go through, not knowing if my daughter would pull through or not, this lady who insists “she was only doing her job” made it bearable.

"She explained everything I asked, and assured me that what was being done was the best for my daughter.

"She made me feel more knowledgeable, meaning I could pass this info on to the rest of my family, as at the time, we didn’t have a clue and were so scared.

"My daughter spent nearly two weeks in a coma and is now on the road to recovery.

"I wanted to thank Kaitlin from the bottom of my heart.

"She deserves a medal. She needs to know how amazing she is.”

Macmillan Breast Care Nurse Specialist Sophie Ferry was nominated by Sarah Burridge from Desborough for the support she provided after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

In her nomination Sarah said: “Sophie was my breast care nurse back in 2020 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

"Now, in 2023, I bumped into Sophie whilst waiting to see the oncologist.

"She sat with me whilst I spoke to her about all my current fears and medical issues.

"Although I was not under her care she still came into my oncologist appointment with me and has gone above and beyond to make sure I've been given all the appointments and tests.

"I cannot praise her enough for listening to me and making me feel heard. She is truly my earth angel.”

Lisa and Kaitlin received their awards this month from the hospital’s director of nursing, Midwifery and AHPs, Jayne Skippen, alongside other senior nurses and midwifery leaders.

Sophie received hers from Dr Deb Zimmermann, the Chief Executive of the DAISY Foundation, during her June 13 visit. All winners receive an accompanying pin badge and “Healer’s Touch” sculpture.

Director of Nursing, Jayne Skippen, said: “We are delighted and very proud to be able to announce some more great DAISY Award winners.

“Lisa, Kaitlin and Sophie all provided outstanding support for their patients, listened to their concerns, and went above and beyond what was expected when looking after them.

“Compassionate care like this is what we try and achieve every day and what the DAISY Awards aim to celebrate.

“Once again we want to thank everyone who takes the time and trouble to nominate our staff members for these awards. Please keep the nominations coming.”

Dr Zimmermann said: “It was an honor to participate in today’s celebration.

"Lisa, Kaitlin, Sophie, and the nurses at Kettering are caring, knowledgeable, and expert.

“They are protectors, advocates, and healers… Their compassion and ability to connect with patients is incredible.

“I thank the leaders at Kettering for understanding the importance of gratitude, and its tie to purpose. For patients and families, giving thanks is therapeutic and aids in the healing process.

“Today was a wonderful day of celebration and as we honor the extraordinary and compassionate care given by these three nurses, we honor and celebrate the difference all of the nurses at Kettering make in the lives of their patients and families.”

Dr Zimmermann also met previous DAISY Award winners today and gave them thank you cards, flowers, and an inspiring speech describing how NHS staff had risen to the challenge of the Covid pandemic and then dealt with the backlog of work it created.

She described how the DAISY awards were created to honour and celebrate the achievements of nurses and to remind them they are making a difference to their communities every day.

To make a DAISY nomination go to: https://www.kgh.nhs.uk/the-daisy-award/