Midlothian nurse among finalists for prestigious national awards

The awards showcase the very best of nursing across Scotland, highlighting, and celebrating the unwavering commitment and remarkable professional care provided by nursing staff.

Elaine Wilson, Community Staff Nurse, has been shortlisted for the Children’s Nursing & Midwifery Award for her exceptional leadership and dedication in delivering high-quality vaccination services in Midlothian.

In her job, Elaine has innovatively addressed the challenges faced by vaccination teams, including declining vaccination rates, often thinking creatively. She has organised flexible clinics in unique locations, increasing vaccination rates. She has also overcome barriers to reach underserved communities, like the travelling community. Additionally, she has also secured funding for child-friendly resources to improve the vaccination experience for children and their families.

Fiona Hunt, Team Lead for Organ Perfusion and Preservation, has been named as one of the finalists for the Clinical Leadership Award.

Fiona’s leadership has led to remarkable improvements in transplant outcomes, evidenced by increased liver transplant graft survival rates and reduced complications. Fiona also contributes to the development of innovative transplantation protocols and technologies and plays a key role in education and research, directing masterclasses and actively participating in clinical studies.

Professor Juliet MacArthur, Chief Nurse Research and Development, has made the shortlist for the Inspiring Excellence - Nursing innovation and Research Award.

In partnership with colleagues, Juliet has been nominated for being instrumental in advancing clinical academic careers and research partnerships in various health care disciplines across Edinburgh and the Lothians. One of Juliet’s projects focuses on nursing and midwifery candidates in the Lothian Clinical Academic Research Gateway Awards scheme. The scheme aims to build research capacity across clinical teams by providing funding for NHS professionals to participate in research development opportunities.

Frances Aitken, Dementia Nurse Specialist, has been named as a finalist for the Mental Health Nursing Award.

Frances was nominated for her work to improve the care experience for patients with cognitive decline in St John’s Hospital. Frances has led the implementation of the Stress and Distress programme and run’s training for staff which has helped reduce the need for one-to-one nursing, sedation, emergency calls, and has improved pain management for patients.

NHS Lothian’s Strathaird team is shortlisted for the Learning Disability Nursing Award.

The team has been nominated for their exceptional dedication, courage, and compassion in their work for patients in a challenging behaviour unit. The team managed to successfully transition a complex patient journey to a personalised, nurturing environment, improving both patient and staff safety. The teams innovative approaches and commitment to positive interaction with patients has garnered impressive results, including increased patient trust and engagement.

Alison Macdonald, Executive Nurse Director, NHS Lothian, said: “I would like to congratulate to all our staff that have been shortlisted for an award.

“Being a finalist is a huge achievement and it really highlights the high quality care and compassion our nurses are giving to patients day in, day out.

“I would like to wish them all good luck.”

The winners will be announced at the glittering awards ceremony on May 23, where the overall RCN Scotland Nurse of the Year Award will be selected from the registered nurse winners from the eligible categories.