Several nursing staff have received honours this year in recognition of their significant contribution to nursing and efforts during the pandemic.
Professor of Nursing Policy at King’s College London and RCN President Anne Marie-Rafferty has been awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to nursing.
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‘I am absolutely thrilled by the news,’ she said. ‘It reflects the esteem in which our great profession is held across the nation and I am deeply honoured and grateful to all those who have supported me. I look forward to continuing to serve our profession in the years to come.’
Other honours include an OBE for Felicia Kwaku, Associate Director of Nursing at King’s College NHS Foundation Trust, who has been acknowledged for her services to nursing spanning more than 30 years. NHS nurse Ashleigh Linsdell, who founded and co-ordinated a national movement to make scrubs for frontline workers when supplies ran short during the pandemic, has also been awarded an OBE.
‘It is wonderful to see so many nursing staff recognised in this way. It should make all those involved in nursing feel immensely proud,’ said RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary Dame Donna Kinnair.
‘These honours highlight that right across the UK since the start of the pandemic, nursing staff have shown incredible professionalism and dedication under the most enormous pressures. It is poignant that so many BAME nurses have been honoured for their work speaking out and safeguarding their colleagues facing disproportionate risk from the COVID-19 virus.
I would like particularly to congratulate our President Professor Anne Marie Rafferty on her Damehood. Anne Marie’s world-renowned research into staffing has been an invaluable tool for nursing staff making the case that safe and effective staffing in their workplace saves lives. It’s hard to think of a nurse more deserving of this honour. From hospitals to care homes and across the community, I hope these honours provide a welcome boost to all those who have dedicated themselves to the care of others.’
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