A Dublin nurse specialising in child limb reconstruction has won the INMO Nurse of the Year Award for 2019.
Anna Wade, who lives in Dunboyne, works in Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital in Finglas, as part of a specialised team. Nominated by her colleagues, she is developing an electronic care plan for patients and worked to establish a child-friendly environment in the hospital.
A Laois midwife, Clare Kennedy, who works in St. Luke’s General Hospital, Kilkenny, won the Midwife of the Year Award.
She provides holistic care to women, their families and babies. She was nominated by her team for “going above and beyond” in her patient care, while also being a supportive voice to colleagues.
The Nurse and Midwife of the Year Awards were relaunched this year by the INMO to celebrate the incredible works by its members across Ireland. They were presented in the Richmond Event Centre (formerly a hospital) on Thursday night.
Nurses and midwives were nominated by colleagues and the winners chosen by an expert panel of nurses and midwives in the INMO. Each were awarded €5,000, thanks to sponsorship from insurance firm Cornmarket.
2019 Midwife of the Year, Clare Kennedy, said:
I’m still in shock to be honest! I got a call from the INMO to tell me I had won the award while I was at work and I was just so humbled and surprised; I just couldn’t believe it.
There is a whole team here who work really diligently to make the service run so well. It’s a really innovative and evidence-based service.
I also want to thank the management team here for their ongoing support. I was nominated by my colleagues so I am taking them for afternoon tea in Kilkee Castle so we can all celebrate together.
2019 Nurse of the Year, Anna Wade, said:
I was so surprised when I heard that I had won the award. To think that my colleagues would take the time to nominate me, that was amazing.
I work with children and their parents before and after surgeries and I see them sometimes several times a week so we build up a great relationship with them. Parents love it here as it is out of the city and there is space to work, without as much stress. There is a super team here and we try to foster a community atmosphere between the patients, their families and the staff, so it all makes for a great service for our clients.
I am so passionate about my role and I always want to learn more to benefit the children of Ireland. It’s a challenging but very rewarding role.
INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, said:
There is no shortage of talent, skill and dedication amongst Ireland’s nurses and midwives. Our panel had an incredibly difficult choice, but it is an honour to consider Anna and Clare as colleagues and fellow INMO members.
Throughout the nomination process, one thing we heard over and over from patients was that all nurses and midwives deserve awards for the work they do. Our professions are often undervalued by the government and employers, but it’s heartening to know that the public hold us in high esteem.
The awards are a part of the INMO’s commitment to Nursing Now, a global campaign, run in collaboration with ICN (International Council of Nurses) and WHO, which aims to raise the profile of nursing and midwifery and to highlight the essential contributions nurses and midwives make to healthcare.