A big well done to these two nurses from Doncaster, who have received top awards

Two exceptional, devoted nurses who serve the Doncaster area have been honoured for their care.
Emma Smith after receiving her awardEmma Smith after receiving her award
Emma Smith after receiving her award

At an awards ceremony in London, primary care nurses Lisa Scott and Emma Smith each received the Queens Nurse Institute award, to recognise their high standards of patient care, learning and leadership.

Lisa Scott, an advanced nurse practitioner at the Scott Practice, and Emma Smith, proactive care coordinator for South West locality, are both experts in their field.

Lisa Scott at the presentation ceremonyLisa Scott at the presentation ceremony
Lisa Scott at the presentation ceremony
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Lisa has worked as a nurse in the community for almost 20 years. She has been a health visitor and worked in different practices in Doncaster as an advanced nurse practitioner.

Over time, Lisa has built up skill and knowledge, and demonstrates a passion for improving patient care.

She believes that caring for people at home, and in the community, is fundamentally different from caring for patients in hospital.

Lisa said: “I feel pleased that my commitment to improving patient care, advocacy for patients, families and carers as well as my commitment to learning and development has been recognised in this way.

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“I am looking forward to working with fellow Queens Nurses both in Doncaster and the rest of the country and will wholeheartedly continue to champion the importance of nursing in the community.

“Nursing has always been a passion of mine and will always remain at the centre of my heart.”

Emma manages a team of community nurses within a care network, made up of eight GP surgeries.

She acts as a direct contact for the most complex two percent of patients within her practice, delivering coordinated care to patients in the community.

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In her community nursing career, Emma received the Philip Goodeve-Docker Memorial Prize as a result of her enthusiasm for district nursing. She provides holistic, personalised care for her patients, acknowledging patient preference and giving the best possible care.

Emma regularly sees patients who are housebound, often with distant family and a poor network of support. In her GP practice community, several patients are socially isolated, which ultimately has an impact on patient’s physical and mental health.

Emma and her team conducted a health needs assessment which identified elderly mental ill health is largely overlooked in general practice, and seeks ways to avoid isolation, improve mental wellbeing and enhance the quality of life for elderly housebound patients on her caseload.

Emma added: “I was delighted to attend the awards ceremony. It was a fantastic opportunity to meet other like-minded nurses, each with a clear commitment and sense of pride for community and district nursing.

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“Receiving the Queens Nurse title is a significant milestone for me and opens a whole new chapter in my career.

“To receive such a prestigious award for my work is overwhelming and I would encourage all community and district nurses to think about what they do and how it aligns with the requirements of becoming a Queens Nurse and joining this invaluable national network.”

Earlier this year, both Lisa and Emma were nominated and awarded at Doncaster’s primary care nursing awards ceremony which took place in March 2019.

Lisa scooped the mentor and preceptor award after being nominated by her colleagues.

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Emma was also part of a dedicated team that won the innovation award at Doncaster’s local awards ceremony.

Lisa, Emma and the South West team were also finalists at the NHS England and NHS Improvement north region awards ceremony.

Zara Head, Lead Nurse for primary care quality, Doncaster CCG said: “As a Queens Nurse myself, I know what a huge honour it is to receive the title and receive recognition of your work.

“There are so many nurses working in the community across Doncaster that could equally receive this important award to recognise their skills, knowledge and commitment to providing world class care.

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“My husband is also a Queens Nurse; we were the first married couple to both receive an award. I would encourage all nurses and midwives working in the heart of local communities in Doncaster to find out more and apply. It would be fantastic if we could double our number of new Queens Nurses at next year’s ceremony!”

Dr Crystal Oldman CBE, chief executive of the QNI said: “On behalf of the QNI I would like to congratulate Lisa and Emma and welcome them both as a Queen’s Nurse.

“Queen’s Nurses serve as leaders and role models in community nursing, delivering high quality health care across the country. The application and assessment process to become a Queen’s Nurse is rigorous and requires clear commitment to improving care for patients, their families and carers.”

Doncaster currently has nine award recipients, with 19 across the South Yorkshire region.

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All nurses, health visitors and midwives with five years’ experience of working in the community are eligible to apply. Nurse managers, General Practice Nurses, specialists and educators are also eligible.

Further information about how to apply is available at http://www.qni.org.uk