The Sue Pembrey Award 2017
The Award Ceremony
The Sue Pembrey Nurse Leader 2017 Award Ceremony was held on Friday 8th December 2017. It was hosted by Professor Steven Ersser, Professor in Clinical Nursing Research, Department of Health Sciences and presented by Professor Emeritus Tony Butterworth CBE, Chair of FoNS. The presentation followed a lecture from Dr Debbie Carrick-Sen, Florence Nightingale Foundation Clinical Professor of Nursing and Midwifery Research at the University of Birmingham, entitled “Transforming care, innovation and leadership through clinical academic roles”.
Freedom Nwokedi
Prof Tony Butterworth with Barbara Lawson
l-r Professor Karl Atkin (Head of the Department of Health Sciences, University of York), Professor Marcus Pembery, Freedom Nwokedi, Professor Steven Ersser, Professor Debbie Carrick-Sen, Professor Tony Butterworth and Barbara Lawson
The Winners
FoNS is delighted to announce that two outstanding nurses have been awarded the prestigious, Sue Pembrey award, 2017, selected from an impressive short list of five.
Barbara Ann Lawson, home manager at Kincaid Care Home, Greenock, a home for people living with a dementia.
Barbara’s nomination said: ‘Barbara is someone who moves nursing into the light for others and makes her mark in an unassuming but powerful way. She works in in the care home sector, an area often seen by some as perhaps requiring less skills and certainly this is still less visible in nursing, yet when I speak to her and hear what others say about her, she epitomizes my idea of a nurse leader.’
The judges felt that Barbara was a compassionate and expert advocate for older people with dementia and their families and that she demonstrated, through systematic approaches, innovation and commitment to establishing a caring culture which has enabled both staff and residents to flourish.
Barbara talked about the importance of knowing herself and how this had aided in her own transformational journey as a clinical leader.
Freedom Nwokedi is a clinical team leader with NAViGO Health and Social Care CIC. Her team offers mental health provision for older adults in Lincolnshire.
Freedom’s nomination said: ‘Freedom … is a very supportive manager, both personally and professionally. She encourages all the staff to be the best they can and to develop their skill through training and other development opportunities. She encourages staff to come up with ideas on how to develop and move the service forward. Freedom oozes a rarely seen energy and passion.’
The judges felt Freedom was an inspirational and well respected clinical leader who had significantly transformed the ward culture over time from one which ‘dictates’ care to one that is person-centred.
Freedom said she felt it was a privilege to be a nurse and that she tried, through working collaboratively to create an inclusive shared vision with staff and patients which is friendly, compassionate and caring.
Shortlisted nominations
This year the judges shortlisted, five exceptional clinical leaders. The nominations were:
Sarah Gregson, consultant midwife (Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust)
The judges commended Sarah’s innovation and commitment to reducing the number of vulnerable infants requiring intensive post-natal care and how this work had gained not only local and national recognition but also international significance.
Lyn Irvine-Brinklow, Alzheimer Scotland dementia nurse consultant (NHS Grampian)
The judges felt Lyn demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities and was an inspirational role model to other nurse consultants within dementia care across the region. Her work clearly evidenced person-centred practice within her field.
Alicia Waite, service manager (North Manchester Palliative Support Service)
The judges felt Alicia’s leadership ability helped her to secure the best from the various talents of the team around her and that she nurtured team members to reflect on their own practice. They commended her ability to challenge care related decisions to ensure they are in the best interests of her patients.