IN PICTURES: Big HEART awards for Laois hospital nurses and midwives

Laois nurses and midwives have just been announced as deserving winners in the 2023 Nursing and Midwifery HEART Award Winners announced at Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise. See winners names and full story below gallery. Tap NEXT for photos.

The 2023 Nursing and Midwifery HEART Award winners have just been announced at Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise (MRHP). HEART is an acronym which stands for Honesty Empathy, Accountability, Respect and Teamwork. This is the third time the hospital has held the awards.

Speaking at the awards ceremony is Director of Nursing at MRHP Olivia Lafferty.

“All of the nominees and winners were chosen by their fellow nursing and midwifery staff, on the wards. These are the people who work very closely with them on a daily basis. It is a great honour for anyone to be nominated by their colleagues and I was delighted as I read through the nominations to see how the nursing values of care, compassion and commitment are truly being delivered by our Nursing, Midwifery and Healthcare Assistant teams here at MRHP and in developing practice and sharing the future profession through preceptorship and mentorship in practice.”

The 2023 Nursing and Midwifery HEART Award Winners at MRHP are as follows;

Nurse of the Year – AnneMarie Egan, Paediatrics Department.

Nurse Leader of the Year -  Fiona Moore, Nurse Practice Development Co-Ordinator

Developing Practice Nurse or Midwife of the Year – Mary Gilligan CPC

Midwife Leader of the Year  - Maren Just, Clinical Midwife Manager 2 and  shift leader in the Maternity Department.

Midwife of the year – Sara Giani Senior Staff Midwife in the Midwifery Department

Healthcare Assistant of the Year – Eithne Boland  Slieve Bloom Ward

Preceptor of the Year – Asha Madhaven Critical Care 

Presenting the Midwife Leader of the Year award was Director of Midwifery, Ita Kinsella.

“It is an honour and a privilege to work alongside colleagues who every day demonstrate exemplary leadership attributes. All nominees for the awards display an excellent standard of practice and professionalism and are committed to providing safe high quality woman centred care.”

The General Manager of MRH Portlaoise is John Joyce.

“The HEART awards provide us with a great opportunity to say thank you and highlights the respect and teamwork that exists across nursing and midwifery. Your dedication is clear and I would like to take this opportunity to offer my appreciation for all your hard work and continued valued service to the hospital.”

Áine Lynch is the Interim Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery with the Dublin Midland Hospital Group.

“I am honoured to be here on what is my last event as Interim Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery for the DMHG as I return in the coming weeks to my role in Tallaght University Hospital.  Since joining the group I have very much enjoyed working with and supporting MRHP Nurses and Midwives as I can see the care, compassion and commitment you provide every day to service development and patient care. These awards give us all a chance to say a heartfelt thank you and to recognise your outstanding professionalism in sometimes challenging and difficult situations. Please keep up the good work.”

Mary Nolan is the Director Nursing & Midwifery Practice Development Unit for the Midlands.

“We are delighted to be here today with my colleague Jerry from the NMPDU and Maura Loftus of the Regional Centre of Nursing and Midwifery to acknowledge the remarkable work and dedication of the nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants in Portlaoise Hospital towards practice development, service improvement and quality patient care. Congratulations to all those nominated and to our wonderful award winners.

See highlight from the event here: https://youtube.com/shorts/ vBXYsRqU4f4