team, the Preceptorship team, Simeon Cruz, and Ela Ab Mumin (centre)
with her colleagues
A bumper crop of finalists across two national healthcare awards is testament to the brilliance of colleagues at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
Four teams and individuals are finalists in three categories of the Nursing Times Workforce Awards, and a doctor has been shortlisted for ‘Clinician of the Year’ in the BAME Health and Care Awards 2024. This builds on shortlisting success in this year's HSJ Awards and main Nursing Times Awards.
Gastroenterology Specialist Registrar Shamira Ghouse is the Trust’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Fellow and her groundbreaking efforts to end unconscious bias in the workplace secured her a spot as a finalist for ‘Clinician of the Year’. The judging panel said: “[Her] achievements have truly shone through a sea of outstanding entries.”
Shamira led an initiative to introduce colour-coded lanyards for medical staff which allows for swift and accurate recognition of clinical roles. This is crucial for patient safety in critical situations, and also ensures female doctors are easily identified as doctors by staff and patients. Her initiative has been backed by the British Medical Association.
Success in the Nursing Times Workforce Awards go to the Trust’s Preceptorship team who have been shortlisted for ‘Preceptorship Programme of the Year’. The team focus on staff wellbeing, career development as well as mentoring to support newly qualified healthcare professionals.
Two members of the team have also been shortlisted in the ‘Preceptor of the Year’ category. Junior Nurse in Charge Simeon Cruz is recognised for confidently inspiring his team and preceptees to provide high quality care.
Preceptor Ela Ab Mumin has been nominated in the same category for her excellence in leadership, nursing education and mentorship. Ela is passionate about teaching, consistently sharing her expertise with compassion.
The Corporate Nursing Workforce team have been shortlisted in the ‘Best Staff Wellbeing Initiative’ category. They introduced self-rostering to help colleagues with flexible working, giving them more input into their shift rota and improving work-life balance.
The team is also a finalist in the 'Staff Wellbeing Award' category for the 2024 HSJ Awards as well as being shortlisted in the main 2024 Nursing Times Awards.
The extraordinary compassion and innovation of teams at West Herts have also been recognised with six nominations in the 2024 Nursing Times Awards. Alongside the Trust's Corporate Nursing Workforce team, shortlisted individuals and teams include Bereavement Midwife Sam Behagg, Respiratory Nurse Suraj Kumar, and surgical virtual hospital team who are finalists in three categories. Read more here.
West Hert’s Chief Nurse Kelly McGovern said: “Well done to all our finalists for their hard work and commitment to the Trust, our colleagues and patients. We wish you the very best of luck.”