ONE FOR THE MANTLEPIECE…John Melarkey, Jacqueline Magee Nurse of the Year . Janice Smyth Photo by Aaron McCracken/Harrisons
SEVERAL nurses employed by the Western Health and Social Services Trust received awards at the recent Royal College of Nursing Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year Awards 2013.
Organised by the Royal College, this is the 17th year of the awards, which took place at the Culloden Hotel, Holywood.
Nurse Jacqueline Magee, from Derrygonnelly, was runner-up in the Transforming Care with Technology Award sponsored by TF3.
She is ‘Long-term conditions case manager’ with the Western Trust, and received the award for her work to develop the Trust’s tele-monitoring service.
It aims to support patients, improve quality of life and reduce hospital admissions.
Confidence in tele-monitoring has grown to the extent that around 370 patients have now used the service, with Jacqueline one of the highest referrers.
The judging panel were impressed with the role Jacqueline played in convincing others of the benefits of tele-health, and how she used her own evidence, such as a reduction in mileage and reduced use of hospital services, to convince colleagues.
Janice Smyth, Director of the RCN in Northern Ireland, congratulated Jacqueline and her colleagues.
She said: “The health and social care system in Northern Ireland has been under continuing pressure for quite some time. We are looking at how to deliver services better, and I am extremely encouraged by what nurses working on the ground are achieving.
“Nurses are in the perfect position to identify in our hospitals and communities how to bring about a more efficient and better service for patients. This has been demonstrated by the finalists and award winners recognised through these awards.”
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