Page 40 - QARANC Vol 14 No 13 2016

38 QARANC THE GAZETTE
A CELEBRATION OF NURSING
RCN Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year Awards 2016
12 May 2016
Hillsborough Castle, Co Down, Northern Ireland
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). The College of Nursing was formed in London in 1916 and the first branch outside of Great Britain was established in Dublin in March 1917. Following civil war and partition, the Belfast Branch of the College of Nursing was established in 1925.
The 2016 Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year awards ceremony was held in the wonderful surroundings of Hillsborough Castle. This is the official residence of Her Majesty the Queen in Northern Ireland, and also the residence of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The castle is set in Hillsborough, a small quiet village, in County Down, Northern Ireland, situated 12 miles from the city of Belfast. It was the perfect setting for the RCN Nurse of the Year awards and gave the awards celebrations a distinctive atmosphere. The date of 12 May was also unique as it coincided with Nurses day and gave nurses in Northern Ireland a significant and distinctive manner to celebrate.
This year, a new category sponsored by 38 Brigade was launched; Defence Nursing Reservist Award. The Defence Nursing Reservist Award was open to registered nurses serving as a reservist in the Defence Medical Services in Northern Ireland, who could demonstrate evidence of: delivering exemplary standards of clinical practice or education; leadership behaviour that has had a positive impact on services and the contribution that has been made to patient care. Nominations were submitted by someone who was familiar with the nominee’s work, then a judging panel consisting of very experienced and highly ranking officers from across the UK ensured that appropriate measures and expertise confirmed and reflected on the suitability of those shortlisted.
This year I was successfully shortlisted as a finalist for the Defence Nursing Reservist Award alongside my colleague Maj Neil Montgomery. 12 May was a beautiful sunny evening which complemented the mood and surroundings of the awards ceremony. We commenced the evening with a
Kevin Thomas, Gaby Smyth & Janice Smyth
champagne reception
in one of the castles
breathtaking state
rooms followed by a
beautiful four course
dinner served in the
luxurious marquee on
the lawn. This was
then followed by the
awards ceremony
which comprised
15 unique awards
ranging from Student Award, Nursing Research Award, Team Manager Award, Health Care Support Worker, Outstanding Achievement and Patient Choice Awards among others. The awards were announced by local newsreader and journalist Donna Traynor, and presented by the individual sponsors for each category. I was fortunate enough to win the Defence Nursing Reservist Award and I am very grateful for the time and expertise of both my nominators and the judging panel for recognising the work that I have carried out within my role in the Army Medical Services.
Those present at the ceremony included the Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland, directors of nursing from the five main Health and Social Care Trusts in Northern Ireland, alongside nursing representatives from senior management boards within those trusts, local MLAs and more specifically Bdr Beaton Commander 2 Medical Brigade. Having this award represented at the RCN Nurse of the Year Awards was a symbol of the diverse nature of nursing in Northern Ireland and highlighted to our nursing colleagues in Northern Ireland that Defence Nursing is a professional and highly desirable speciality of nursing which is growing and developing at a fast pace. It also set Defence Nursing in a familiar and level footing within the professional arena in Northern Ireland and highlighted the ordinariness of having nurses who enjoyed two roles, one within the Health and Social Care context and the other as a Defence Nursing Reservist. Due to the history of Northern Ireland there still remains a “barrier” to defence services within the wider population; however, steps like these are small but incredibly effective in overcoming fears and naiveties others may have of our roles and abilities. It also serves to highlight the transferable skills gained from our role as Reservists and the ability for these skills, experiences and training to be useful in developing, shaping and transforming our Health and Social Care systems.
The celebrations in Hillsborough Castle ended just in advance of midnight, and the rush of energy and enthusiasm for celebrating nursing was only beginning. Overall this was a fantastic evening and a fantastic way to celebrate achievements within nursing and I am looking forward to continuing and inspiring the success of this new award for many years to come.
Maj Gaby Smyth Nursing Officer 204 Field Hospital Belfast