Diabetes nurse consultant makes finals of UK’s top national nursing awards

By Editor
13th June 2018
London

Diabetes nurse consultant Ruth Miller has been announced as a finalist in the 2018 RCNi Nurse Awards, the UKs most prestigious nursing accolade.

Ruth, who works for NHS North West London Collaboration of Clinical Commissioning Groups, is a finalist in the ‘Innovations in your Specialty’ award category. Following the award’s highest ever number of nominations in its 31 year history, a panel of expert judges has whittled down over 700 entries to just five inspirational finalists for each award category. 

The RCNi Nurse Awards identify and celebrate nurses who, every day, go above and beyond to save lives, provide outstanding care for patients and transform nursing practice for the better. 

Ruth said: I am honoured and delighted to receive this recognition for my work. I am passionate about ensuring that all people living with diabetes receive care that is both safe and of a high standard.

She has developed and implemented the diabetes 10-point training programme for staff in clinical settings. The unique, multidisciplinary teaching package can be delivered flexibly, depending on the clinical area. Training is brief, relevant and clear, with attendees receiving small cards capturing key points. There are modules for staff working in hospitals, care homes, dialysis centres, community services and those working with the homeless in hostels and in the community, as well as mental health workers.

Outcomes for people with serious mental illness and diabetes are particularly poor. Audit shows medication errors are down from 46.9 per cent to 26.7 per cent, insulin errors from 24.5 per cent to 13.3 per cent and severe hypoglycaemia from 14.5 per cent to 6.9 per cent.

Ruth said:The prevalence of diabetes is really high amongst hospital inpatients, residents in care homes, people with serious mental illness, the homeless and people receiving renal therapy. Unfortunately, staff working in these areas rarely have access to basic diabetes training or specialist support. I developed the diabetes 10-point training programme to help avoid common and avoidable errors. The training is now being delivered in all eight boroughs across North West London.

Rachel Armitage, managing director at RCNi, said: The RCNi panel of professional judges voted Ruth Miller as a finalist because of her incredible story and because of the impact she has made to patients with diabetes. With the nursing shortage high on the national agenda, its important that we give nurses like Ruth the recognition they deserve, and we look forward to celebrating her work at the awards in July.

Ruth will now go through to the interview stage of the judging process, ahead of the awards ceremony in July.

The hunt for Britains nursing heroes started back in December 2017, led by Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway, and will culminate in a glamorous awards ceremony on July 4 in London. Nurses were able to nominate themselves or their colleagues across 14 different categories ranging from mental health and cancer, to emergency and student nursing.

In April, we reported that Ruth had been shortlisted for a HSJ award for the diabetes 10-point training programme.

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