Date published: 20 December 2021
Liverpool Nurse awarded prestigious national nursing title
One of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust’s integrated nursing team has been presented with the prestigious Queen’s Nurse title in recognition of her efforts to improve practice and efficiency during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kirsten Collins, an operational service manager at Mersey Care, received the honour from community nursing charity The Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI), during an online ceremony last week.
The judges were impressed with Kirsten’s innovation in setting up a development programme for new Band 6 managers within her team and she helped adapt the district nursing provision into a 24-hour operation using neighbourhood nursing teams to ensure increased patient care continuity.
She also helped to ensure every district nursing day team was given a sub-epidermal moisture scanner, which enables them to better predict and proactively treat pressure sores among their patients.
“I trained as a nurse and I’m extremely proud to receive this award,” said Kirsten. “I’m really passionate about being in nursing – I don’t see it as a job, it’s my vocation and although my role has changed over the years, I remain as committed as I ever was to improving patient care and their lives.”
The QNI presents the Queen’s Nurse Award annually to those nurses that have “demonstrated a high level of commitment to patient care and nursing practice.”
Trish Bennett, Mersey Care’s Executive Director of Nursing, said: “On behalf of the Trust I’d like to offer our congratulations to Kirsten for this outstanding success.
“Nurses, like the rest of the NHS, have faced enormous challenges over the last couple of years of the pandemic and it’s innovative work like this which has helped us adapt and ensure we continue to deliver the highest standards of healthcare to the population we serve.”