NI Nurses Celebrate

On foot of the NI Health Minister Michael McGimpsey announcing an innovative scheme to invest £2 million each year to create new practice educators to support student nurses, the top student nurse in the Province has been announced.

Appropriately, the top student is one who could best benefit from the new educators - as she is studying through distance learning.

The Student Award, sponsored by Queen's University, went to Jackie Moore, a student at the Open University.

Meanwhile, two learning disability nurses from Muckamore Abbey Hospital took the top honours at last night's prestigious 'Nurse of the Year' award.

Elise Clinghan from Donacloney and Garvin McKnight from Hillsborough were presented with Northern Ireland's top nursing award for leading the Adapted Sex Offender Treatment Programme at Muckamore Hospital.

Speaking at the 12th year of the awards - which are organised by the Royal College of Nursing - the Minister said: "I would like to congratulate Elise and Garvin for this achievement.

"They should be congratulated on their commitment to what is a difficult area of work. This is not a high profile part of nursing and yet it is clear from what we have heard this evening that both individuals are committed professionals, and thoroughly deserve the award they have received."

Among the other award winners last night were runners-up Jackie Kayes, Julie Hamilton and Anne Whiteside from the Community Nurse In-Reach Service at Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.

They were commended for their work in providing a specialist nursing service to treat patients at home instead of having to be admitted to hospital.

On top of the overall 'celebrations of success', the nursing profession was also able to digest all the details of Mr McGimpsey's earlier good news.

Around 35 practice educators will soon be in post across hospitals in Northern Ireland thanks to the new investment in practice educators.

Speaking ahead of the awards ceremony in Belfast, the Minister had said: "Nurses are the backbone of our health and social care service - the work they do affects everyone in Northern Ireland at some point in their lives.

"Student nurses are our investment in the future but our future health and social care service will be very different.

"We are already witnessing a shift away from hospitals and a greater focus on community nursing.

"Our student nurses must be equipped with all the necessary skills and expertise to deliver these new services.

"That is why I am investing £2m annually in new practice educators. They will be fully qualified nurses who are dedicated to supporting student nurses and help them through their final placements," he revealed.

Their role is to support the learning and assessment of students and work closely with student mentors.

(BMcC)