Nurses dubbed ‘healthcare heroes’ scoop top awards

Two Nurses have been presented with top nursing awards for their commitment to patients and colleagues at St Andrew’s Healthcare.

Daryl Birch and Jodie Johnson who both manage wards within the mental health charity have been presented with a prestigious Cavell Star each.

The awards, hosted by the Cavell Nurses’ Trust, are for individuals who go above and beyond in their job and provide excellent care to their patients.

Jodie Johnson, who oversees the male mental health ward Spencer South, was nominated by Anthony Ndekwe, a member of her team who said he wanted her to be recognise for her “dedication and commitment” to her patients.

He added: “Jodie is a breath of fresh air. She leads by example, constantly goes above and beyond and she’s an extremely compassionate and supportive leader. She has built up some incredible therapeutic relationships with the patients and we are very lucky to have her.”

Jodie said: “While it’s very nice to be recognised, what we do is really teamwork, so although I really appreciate the award, it’s for everyone who works on the ward.”

Daryl, who also runs male mental health ward was nominated by Jennifer Mytton, who is holds one of the Charity’s Head of Nursing positions.

Jennifer said: “I’ve seen first-hand just how committed Daryl is to his colleagues and his patients. He’s a very experienced Nurse Manager with more than 20 years’ experience behind him. But, rather than keeping his head down and getting on with his job, he provides a lot of support and guidance to his fellow Nurse Managers who do not have as much experience as him. He helps to guide them, providing some much-needed mentoring when required.

“Daryl’s team have also had some wonderfully positive discharges and I truly believe he has helped transform lives. He’s leading the way in providing least restrictive practice to all his patients which has been hugely popular with everyone on the ward.”

Daryl said: “It was a huge honour to be recognised and to receive this amazing prize. It was a real morale booster for me and for the team, but to be honest I feel I am just doing my job. I care very deeply for our patients and I just want to make sure that we’re delivering the best, quality care that we can.”

The Cavell Nurses’ Trust is a charity that supports nurses, midwives and healthcare support workers, working and retired, when they’re suffering personal or financial hardship often due to illness, disability, older age, domestic abuse and the ongoing cost of living crisis.

The charity’s awards programme recognise nurses, midwives, nursing associates and healthcare assistants who show exceptional care to one of three groups of people:

St Andrew’s Healthcare’s CEO Dr Vivienne McVey, said: “Nurses are our healthcare heroes. It doesn’t matter what sector they work in, nurses play a critical role across almost every aspect of healthcare. They are the backbone to any hospital system as they provide care, comfort and compassion for their patients.

“At St Andrew’s, we care for some of the most clinically complex patients in the country, many of whom when they are first admitted have lost hope for their future. Our staff are compassionate, empathetic and consistent, they make our patients feel valued and cared for, reminding them that they deserve to live meaningful, fulfilled lives.

“It takes a special kind of nurse to work within the field of mental health and I think Daryl and Jodie have shown outstanding and exemplary quality of care. We’re very proud of our workforce and the dedication they continually show towards our patients and I would like to congratulate Daryl and Jodie for their hard work and commitment.”