Our annual Nursing Conference and Awards took place on Thursday 11 May at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham.
The winners for the Nursing Awards were:
- Nurse of the Year – Cynthia Neta, Cygnet Sedgley House
- Support Worker of the Year – Anna Kowalska, Cygnet Hospital Beckton
- Nurse Leader of the Year – Margaret Ryan, Cygnet Hospital Ealing
- Speak Up Award – Blessings Sithole, Cygnet Hospital Taunton
- Diversity and Inclusion Award – Junior Sibanda, Cygnet Hospital Sheffield
- Nurse Education Award – Eleanor Smith, Cygnet Hospital Sheffield
- Nurse Innovator Award – Stacey Burgess, Cygnet Hospital Sheffield
- Nurse Compassionate Leader Award – Claire Griffiths, Cygnet Joyce Parker Hospital
- Director of Nursing Award Winner – Maxine Thorne, Toller Road
Nurse of the Year winner, Cynthia Neta, a Senior Nurse at Cygnet Sedgley House said she was shocked at scooping the prize.
“I am very excited,” she said. “This award feel like recognition for the difference I have made at the hospital.”
Anna Kowalska, a senior support worker at Cygnet Hospital Beckton, was awarded Support Worker of the Year. She explained: “This feels absolutely amazing. It says the work that I do does count. I want to thank my colleagues for nominating me. I have a constant drive to do more, to do better and improve things.
“The care we give to people is so important. Our focus, as a company, is always on the individual we care for and I’m really proud to be recognised with this award.”
Clinical Team Leader at Cygnet Hospital Sheffield, Junior Sibanda, won the Diversity and Inclusion award for her role in promoting the work of the multicultural network. After winning the award, she said: “I love my job as a nurse because we make sure we get our patients to a position where they can live a fulfilled life in the community. Seeing progress in someone’s life is really rewarding.
“Being an ambassador for the multicultural network is about ensuring everyone is included and that we promote Cygnet values in the work we do. I feel really happy to win this award in recognition of that.”
Maxine Thorne, Deputy Manager at Toller Road and winner of the Director of Nursing award, said “I am so surprised. You do your job and come to work to do your best, you don’t expect to win something like this.
“Cygnet is a really great place to work, it is so supportive. Working with the service users, giving them great experiences and empowering them to enjoy their lives is the greatest thing about my job.”
There were also Director of Nursing Special Recognition Awards, the winners of which were:
- Julie Garbett – Regional Nurse Director (South)
- Vickie Peters – Nurse Director – Social Care and Deputy Director of Infection Prevention & Control
- Nurse Assessment Team
- Agnes Tutani – Cygnet Freedom to Speak Up Guardian
- Rosalyn Mloyi – Cygnet’s Corporate Nurse Director (Positive & Safe Care) and our Multicultural Network Chairperson
- Beatrice Nyamande – Operations Director – South Social Care
- Quality Improvement Team
Speaking after the awards ceremony, Julie Garbett, who was recognised for “always going above and beyond” said: “I am very shocked and surprised. I love my job, I come to work and meet the most incredible people doing life-changing work. It feels amazing to win an award for doing a job I love.
“I am so lucky to work with incredible people. I get to go out and I’m privileged to spend time with people having difficult times in their life and I get to see the work staff do to support them to get to where they want to or need to be. That is such a blessing.
“I know in nursing the job can be so hard but I meet people who are so excited to show me the amazing things they are doing. My mum is going to be so happy I’ve won this award!”