Caption:  Back Row (l to r)  Karn Cliffe, Director of Nursing and Midwifery with the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group; Maura Loftus, Director of the RCNME (Regional Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Education) Tullamore; Sandra McCarthy, Director of Nursing, MRHP; Sr Mareena Shiji Mole Mathew, Staff Nurse (overall award winner); Ann Marie O Shea, Advanced Nurse Practitioner Adult Respiratory Services (award winner); Dr Mary Nolan, Interim Director of the Nursing and Midwifery Planning and Development Unit Midlands. Front Row (l to r) Fiona Moore Nurse Practice Development Co-ordinator MRHP; Paediatric Nurse Dolores Tynan (award winner); Emma Mullins, Clinical Midwifery Manager (award winner); Ms Maureen Revilles, Director of Midwifery MRHP

The first ever nursing and midwifery awards were presented recently at Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise (MRHP). Local midwives and nurses were honoured with special H.E.A.R.T ( Honesty, Empathy, Accountability, Respect and Team work)awards for providing excellent care during the pandemic.

Nurse of the year

Sr Mareena Shiji Mole Mathew won the overall Nurse of the Year accolade. Her award was presented by Maura Loftus, the Director of the Regional Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Education in Tullamore.  

Sr Mareena who works on the Slieve Bloom Medical Ward at MRHP won praise for her very high standards of care and empathy while also advocating strongly for her patients. Her role in supporting her colleagues and teaching student nurses was also complimented. She is originally from the state of Kerala in India.

Congratulating all recipients, Director of Nursing at MRHP,  Sandra McCarthy, said she was “proud of how our nursing staff here responded to the recent pandemic. During the most challenging of years, they proved you really do see the best of people in the most difficult of times. It’s really important that we recognise that excellence. Recognition is an expression of appreciation and gratitude.  It is important for the individual and their team to recognise and value those outstanding contributions.”

Maureen Revilles, Director of Midwifery at MRHP added that “during COVID-19 women still required maternity care, delivery and postnatal care and support with breastfeeding. I want to pay tribute to my team who adapted their services to ensure women and their families continued to have positive birthing experiences, in challenging circumstances for women, their support partners and wider families.”

 'The best in the profession'

Stating that “all those receiving awards exemplify the best in the profession,” Dr Karn Cliffe, Assistant Director of Nursing and Midwifery with Dublin Midlands Hospital Group praised the courage of “all nursing staff in Portlaoise for their personal sacrifice and life-saving work in meeting the challenges of COVID-19 head-on. Rather than back away from the unknown, they put themselves on the frontline amid increased medical risk showing great courage and resourcefulness. They will I am sure continue to make a real difference in the lives of their patients.”

H.E.A.R.T Award for Nurse Leader of the Year in 2021

Melissa Dunne, the Interim Assistant Director of Nursing Medical Services won the H.E.A.R.T Award for Nurse Leader of the Year in 2021. She was nominated for her role as Clinical Nurse Manager of the Day Services and COVID-19 Ward during 2020/2021.   Emma Mullins, Clinical Midwifery Manager, won the H.E.A.R.T. Award for the Midwife Leader of the Year 2021. Emma was nominated for her compassion and commitment to women in her care as well as her exemplary leadership, support and thoughtfulness towards her colleagues.

Ann Marie O Shea, an Advanced Nurse Practitioner at Adult Respiratory Services won the H.E.A.R.T. Award for Developing Practice Nurse or Midwife Leader of the Year 2021. Ann Marie was nominated for her professional knowledge, her dedication to patients and her support for colleagues during the COVID-19 Pandemic.   Dolores Tynan a recently retired Paediatric Nurse was presented with the H.E.A.R.T special recognition award. Dolores received an exceptional number of nominations from her colleagues who highlighted her commitment to patients, support for her co-workers as well as her professionalism and knowledge.  

The winners received a glass plaque, while all the nominees were presented with a gold coin. All of those who received awards were nominated by their peers in recognition of their outstanding care, compassion and commitment to nursing and midwifery at the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise.