Senior Staff Nurse Helen Whiting from the Critical Care Unit team at West Suffolk Hospital has won a Cavell Star Award for going above and beyond for her patients.
Colleague and Clinical Team Manager Rachel Fenton explains why Helen is such a worthy winner.
“Helen has been a dedicated nurse at West Suffolk Hospital for the past 40 years, consistently demonstrating an unwavering commitment to enhancing the patient experience. One of Helen’s notable contributions is the development of the patient profile, which was initially introduced in critical care. Since then, she has dedicated countless hours of her own time working alongside the team at West Suffolk to implement this profile across the wards. This initiative, which Helen has wholeheartedly invested in, has yielded remarkable benefits, enabling staff to gain a deeper understanding of our patients’ needs. The patient profile has also been adopted nationally through the Intensive Care Society, a remarkable achievement that Helen should be immensely proud of.
“In addition, Helen plays an active role in the ITU steps for patients discharged from critical care. She takes the time to listen to and understand their experiences, ensuring that their voices are heard. Furthermore, Helen consistently goes above and beyond by identifying items for the rehabilitation trolley and personally bringing in additional comforts, such as shower gels, shampoos, hand cream to enhance the patient experience.
“Helen is one of the kindest and most compassionate nurses you could ever hope to meet. Though quiet in nature, she brings an extraordinary strength and skill to her nursing practice that makes a profound impact. Every team would benefit from having someone like Helen—we simply feel incredibly fortunate to have her as part of ours.”
Helen reacted to winning her Cavell Star Award.
“I was thrilled to receive the Cavell Star Award, it was lovely surprise! To me this is the best award, I only ever thought I was doing my job.
“To be recognised for patient centred care by amazing colleagues was wonderful, especially as this is my 40th year of having the privilege of being a nurse. My 10 year project creating the Patient Profile form and witnessing its impact on patient and family care has been wonderful.
“I am so grateful that I work with an amazing supportive caring team. Critical Care can be a stressful and a busy area to work, and we get through caring together. “