And the winner is…
Hannah Perez, Nurse Specialist
Since moving to the UK from the Philippines and joining the team on the hyper-acute stroke unit, Hannah’s hard work, passion and enthusiasm to develop her skills and knowledge in this field of medicine soon led to her appointment as a nurse specialist.
One of her significant achievements has been leading the paramedic video triage project, working closely with the ambulance service to support the roll-out of a pilot study, in which she liaised with trial leads, co-ordinated data collection, supported stroke nurses and helped with staff education of the new equipment.
The project aims to triage ‘FAST positive’ patients identified by paramedics using telemedicine, ensuring that stroke patients have direct access to specialist services, hyperacute treatment and specialist care and are managed in the most appropriate place to meet their needs.
Hannah’s appointment has also allowed her to work more closely with patients and their families and her dedication has not gone unnoticed, with lots of positive feedback, while her attention to detail, analytical skills, and ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues across departments have made her a unique asset.
There is no doubt her contributions to the ward and the stroke service will continue to be invaluable for years to come.
Congratulations Hannah!
Annabel Price, Nurse Specialist
Since joining the community Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease team as a nurse specialist, Annabel has hit the ground running and proved to be a conscientious, kind and caring team player and a great ambassador for Newcastle Hospitals.
Her nomination is in recognition of the key role she took upon herself to represent our trust at the local Lung Health Group, (formerly Breathe Easy) providing professional advice and support to group members who have, or are affected by, lung disease.
As well as co-ordinating group activities and organising guest speakers, when Annabel found out that national charity support offered to the group was being reduced and withdrawn, she set about securing funding to pay for expenses and a venue.
In addition, she successfully bid for funding for group gym membership and without her efforts there is every chance that the group, which has been a brilliant way of providing social contact and formal /informal support to patients and families, would have ceased to exist.
Annabel’s determination, insight and organisational skills have exceeded expectations and are a perfect fit for this category.
Stacey Turnbull, Senior Sister
Stacey joined the fertility clinic as senior sister in 2022 and while she had worked in women’s services, reproductive medicine was completely new to her and she was a fresh face in a very established team.
Over the last year she has grown in strength and stature as a leader, using her excellent interpersonal skills to develop relationships with all parts of this team at the Centre for Life, including navigating difficult situations with care and compassion while continuing to offer an excellence service to patients.
She has worked with the estate and infection control teams to identify and resolve environment and facilities issues, project managed a major refurbishment with minimal disruption and built new relationships with internal and external stakeholders – all with an eye on service improvement.
Recognising the importance of providing robust support for patients undergoing emotionally and physically challenging treatment, she has engaged with local and national groups to understand what matters to them – with excellent feedback – all the while learning the ropes of a new and complex specialty.
An epitome of a good team leader she is described as a ‘shining light in our organisation who, with the right and support, could be a fantastic future Director of Nursing.’
Emma Wenn, Senior Sister
New to the team, Emma joined ward 13 at the Freeman Hospital – an adult acute medical ward – as senior sister last November and has shown great passion for the care of older people, inspiring colleagues to engage, improve and strive for excellence.
Through her leadership she has instilled value and empowerment in her staff, leading to improvement in morale, patient care and clinical standards, and has also developed and supported not only her own junior sisters but those across the directorate, becoming a mentor to many.
As a result of her passion for patient care, her ward is now a flagship for piloting new services / tools in the trust and is research active. Described as a ‘breath of fresh air’ she has also addressed recruitment and staffing issues, as well as promoting coaching for her students on placement.
In her short time in the role – and despite a few challenges along the way – Emma has shown resilience, growth and a maturity and passion for older people’s care which has inspired her team to be ‘the best they can be’ so it’s hardly surprising she received more than one nomination.
