A Dudley Group nurse has been recognised for her inspirational work supporting healthcare professionals to deliver high quality end of life care for people affected by cancer in Dudley.
Karen Lewis, Macmillan Palliative Care Educator, was presented with her award for Integration Excellence at the prestigious 2014 Macmillan Excellence Awards by former world champion swimmer and record holder Mark Foster.
Karen was awarded for her work in improving the coordination and integration of services for people affected by cancer.
Karen collecting her award at the Macmillan Excellence Awards
Her award winning work involved training and educating more than 70 healthcare professionals across Dudley to become Palliative Care Champions, who can then share their new skills and expertise with their colleagues to ensure a high standard of care. She has put together a standard framework, training and education courses and resources to meet their needs.
Karen’s motivation comes from her own negative experience of end of life care as a carer and so respecting the wishes of patients and supporting them to die in the place of their choosing has been at the heart of her work.
She said, “It is a huge honour to have my work recognised by Macmillan and I am really pleased we are making a difference in Dudley. I work with a fantastic team locally and could not do the things I do without the support I get from all of my colleagues.
“I love my job; it gives me so much satisfaction that by training staff I can really have an impact on many patients lives for the better.”
Paula Clark, Chief Executive at The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust said, “Karen was nominated for this award because she carries out her work to the highest level and standard, and she has made a huge difference for patients in Dudley.
“She is an educator, she gives staff the confidence to have those difficult but important conversations with patients and carers, and supports her colleagues, both clinical and non-clinical, to understand how to give the best possible care at the end of life.”
