Altnagelvin staff win RCN accolades

THE work of a nurse who works at Altnagelvin helping patients with rectal cancer has been recognised at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Nurse of the Year Awards.

Gloria O’Connor, a stoma care nurse specialist, won the Nursing Research Award sponsored by the University of Ulster.

In consultation with patients and health care colleagues and through her research, Gloria developed a pack with 14 information leaflets covering various aspects of care for patients living with rectal cancer such as surgery, stoma management and long-term lifestyle issues.

Meanwhile, Judith Orr, a nursing auxiliary in the fracture clinic at Altnagelvin, was runner-up in the Health Care Support Worker category.

Congratulating the staff members, Trust Chairman Gerard Guckian, said: “The success of Western Trust nurses in the Nurse of the Year Awards reflects the high quality of nursing in hospitals and the community in the West. It was wonderful to see these examples of best practice being recognised.”

Western Trust Chief Executive Elaine Way said: “I am delighted to see nursing professionals from the Western Trust having their good work celebrated and it is important for this innovation and best practice to be encouraged through events such as the RCN awards.”