Nurse wins charity award for ‘going above and beyond’ for patients – Nursing Times

A cardiac specialist nurse has received a national charity award for her work supporting people with heart and circulatory diseases in Aberdeenshire.

Liz Douglas was announced as the winner of the Healthcare Hero accolade at the British Heart Foundations (BHF) Heart Hero Awards, held virtually on Tuesday night.

She really is a heart hero and thoroughly deserves this award

James Jopling

The award recognises a nurse or doctor who has made a special effort to make a difference to the lives of heart patients and their families, according to the BHF.

Ms Douglas has been a cardiac specialist practice nurse at Inverurie Medical Practice for the last eight years and was previously a community heart failure nurse.

Her nomination described as a compassionate, dedicated, expert nurse who goes above and beyond to ensure that all people within her community are well cared for.

Now in their third year, the Heart Hero Awards celebrate those who have shown strength in the face of adversity or have made a significant impact helping people with heart and circulatory diseases.

James Jopling, head of BHF Scotland, said: We are so grateful to Liz for all the work she has done supporting patients with heart and circulatory diseases over the years.

She really is a heart hero and thoroughly deserves this award, he added.

Im very lucky to be in a job that I am passionate about

Liz Douglas

Commenting on her role, Ms Douglas said: What is rewarding for me in my job is the little things, like when a patient takes my hand and says, Thank you you have made such a difference.

I dont think I have done anything apart from my job, but I then see from their reaction that it has helped them, she said. I love what I do.

Im very lucky to be in a job that I am passionate about, she said. Even after 20 years, I still have the same passion to improve what I do and to improve the lives of people with heart disease.

Ms Douglas also thanked the charity and her colleagues for their support and inspiration, while also explaining why she chose to join the nursing profession.

When I was a teenager, my mum was very ill and spent a lot of time in hospital and the care that the nurses gave my mum and my family was amazing, she said.

She added: I came to realise that if I could do that as a job, if I could support people and make a difference to their lives as a nurse, that would be a worthwhile career.

Meanwhile, the BHF warned that the Covid-19 crisis has had a devastatingimpact onitsincome, leading to a potential 50m cut in research funding.

Mr James said: We are indebted to the work of all of our wonderful supporters as we face the hardest period that the BHF has had in its 60-year history.

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Nurse wins charity award for 'going above and beyond' for patients - Nursing Times