Lead Neonatal Research Nurse Marie Hubbard from University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Foundation Trust has won a Cavell Star Award for going above and beyond for her colleagues.
Team mate Jenny Smith explains why Marie is such a deserving winner.
“Marie first joined the Leicester Neonatal Unit in 1988 as a staff nurse. After getting involved in research studies on the unit, Marie was appointed as the first dedicated Neonatal Research Nurse in Leicester in 2003. Marie has been an inspirational leader in neonatal care, leading on a number of projects including a parent empowerment project aimed at supporting parents of premature babies; bereavement photography courses for staff so that bereaved families had precious memories captured; and was part of the set-up of Leicester’s first parent i-pads, enabling unwell mothers of premature and sick babies to skype/facetime from delivery suite to the neonatal unit or from different hospitals.
“On a national scale, Marie was the first neonatal nurse in the UK to take on the role of local PI for a large study. Her success in this role means that she is in high demand to support funding applications for NIHR research. Regardless of whether it is a working day or off day, she will always answer and provide helpful advice to colleagues wherever they are. She is, without doubt, an exceptional person, an inspiration and leading light in UK neonatal research and very well deserving of this award.”
Marie reacted to winning her Cavell Star Award.
“I am beyond proud and extremely humbled to think my colleagues think me worthy of such a prestigious award. I love the challenge and the variety of this role and most of all the chance to offer new treatments and innovations to sick and preterm babies with the aim of improving healthcare in the future.
“My team mean everything to me. We have accomplished so much together and continue to do so. Whatever I have achieved is down to having such a fantastic team around me.”