On Friday 8th March, the British Journal of Nursing (BJN) celebrated outstanding nursing care at its 21st awards ceremony, which took place at Shakespeare’s Underglobe in London. Over 250 guests attended the event, one of the main dates in the nursing calendar.
Healthcare professionals were awarded for tackling continence issues, excelling in intravenous therapy, delivering exceptional nutritional support, improving patient care in urology, and responding to the challenges in respiratory care. They were also recognised for making outstanding contributions in the fields of chronic oedema, gastrointestinal nursing, hepatology, infection prevention and mental health. Nurses working in oncology, kidney care, stoma care and wound care were also awarded for putting patient care at the heart of their role, inspiring other colleagues and helping drive the profession.
The Nurse of the Year was for Stephen Rowley, responsible for the implementation and development of the Aseptic Non-Touch Technique (ANNT). As Clinical Director for The Association for Safe Aseptic Practice, Steven has led the development and dissemination of ANNT internationally, across all healthcare settings.
The prestigious Lifetime Achievement award went to Cecilia Anim, who has passionately worked to deliver outstanding patient care and frontline care to a diverse community in London. Born in Ghana, she moved to the UK and started her career at Hull Royal Infirmary. She then moved to London’s Margaret Pyke Centre, where she worked for 40 years. She has been a member of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) for over 30 years, serving as deputy president (2010–2014) and then president for two terms, becoming the first nurse of African origin to hold those titles.
Cecilia said: ‘Sincere thanks to BJN for this prestigious award which I dedicate to nursing colleagues on International Women’s Day who are still going the extra mile caring and making a difference in the communities we serve.’
The Respiratory Nurse of the Year Award (co-sponsored by Independent Nurse with GSK and the Association of Respiratory Nurse Specialists) was won by Karen Marshall, Nurse Consultant at Newcastle-upon-Tyne NHS Foundation Trust, for her work in using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to reduce anxiety levels, as well as admissions to hospital and visits to A&E, for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).