Published on: 15th June 2018
A nurse from Lincoln has become one of the first winners of a Cavell Star Award. Vicki Parker, Ward Manager at Discovery House on Long Leys Road, was nominated by a team mate for going above and beyond for her patients.
Vicki’s team were keen to recognise the commitment she has made to improve the lives of patients in her care. Anne-Maria Newham, Director of Nursing at LPFT, explains,
Vicki works with some of the most complex vulnerable mental health patients and has introduced positive behaviour plans onto the ward to reduce restrictive interventions and seclusion for the patients. In one month the ward has gone from fifteen incidents of violence to just four. The patients are so complimentary about her approach to them and how they feel fully involved in their own plans for recovery.
Nursing charity Cavell Nurses’ Trust recently launched the Cavell Star Awards, in partnership with LloydsPharmacy Clinical Homecare. Nominations are being sought from nursing teams throughout the UK for that special team mate who has shown exceptional care for either their colleagues or their patients and patients’ families. Each Cavell Star Award winner receives a remarkable medal, presentation case and pin badge as well as an invite to attend the special Care & Cake Garden Party in June, a celebration of the nation’s nursing professionals.
Vicki reacted to winning her award
I was completely overwhelmed! I’m a bit of a talker but on this occasion I was speechless! I’m not someone who comes to work looking for award recognition, but I was completely blown away and very touched.
When you work in nursing you spend more time with your team than with your own family, so they mean so much to me. You want to get the best out of them and empower them and see them develop and grow, especially the newly qualified nurses. I’m really proud to have won a Cavell Star Award and to have been nominated by my team. It makes me realise that we are succeeding in improving our patients’ lives.
The Cavell Star Awards are in partnership with LloydsPharmacy Clinical Homecare and sponsored by NEXT, UNISON, NHS Improvement, National Garden Scheme, Health Education England, NHS Professionals, Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps, Alexandra, British Journal of Nursing, The Embassy of Belgium in the UK and Thornbury Nursing Services & Scottish Nursing Guild.
Cavell Nurses’ Trust is the charity that supports UK nurses, midwives and HCAs, both working and retired, when they’re suffering personal or financial hardship often due to illness, disability, older age and domestic abuse. In 2017, the charity received more than 2,200 calls for help.
John Orchard, Chief Executive at Cavell Nurses’ Trust, explains:
Thank you to our partner and wonderful sponsors for making the Cavell Star Awards happen.
We know there are nursing professionals up and down the country who show exceptional care every day, often in very difficult circumstances and sometimes when their own life is falling apart. You can say a big ‘thank you’ to your colleagues by giving them a Cavell Star Award!
John continues:
Cavell Nurses’ Trust is here for nurses when they need help, so we are really excited to be launching the Cavell Star Awards as a morale boost for nursing teams working extremely hard in very challenging situations.
Healthcare professionals wishing to nominate a nurse, midwife or HCA for a Cavell Star Award can find out more at www.cavellstarawards.org
