Fiona Dilorenzo, a healthcare assistant at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, was crowned winner of the RCNi ’Healthcare Assistant’ award for her outstanding work with people with learning disabilities.
The annual RCNi Nurse Awards are the UK’s most prestigious nursing accolades, recognising nurses who, every day, go above and beyond to save lives, provide outstanding care for patients and transform nursing for the better. The 2018 awards ceremony took place at The Park Plaza in London in July, hosted by RCNi Nurse Awards ambassador and TV presenter, Kate Garraway. Kate presented the awards alongside special guest, actress and RCN ambassador Emilia Clarke.
“I’m completely overwhelmed to have won an RCNi Award”
Fiona was shortlisted from over 700 entries and chosen by the awards judges as the winner of the Healthcare Assistant Award for ensuring those with learning disabilities in the Devon region have equal access to diagnosis and treatment. Out of 650 learning disability appointments every three months, up to 60 patients did not attend due to fear and anxiety, reliance on public transport, apprehensions about hospitals and difficulty communicating. Fiona is now the first Specialist Learning Disability Healthcare Assistant in Devon and has gone above and beyond to follow up with every single learning disability patient who does not attend outpatient appointments.
On receiving the RCNi Healthcare Assistant Award, Fiona Dilorenzo said:
“I’m completely overwhelmed to have won an RCNi Award, especially as I was up against some amazing competitors. It was a shock to even find out I’d been shortlisted as I was entered by my team and didn’t know. It’s great to get our message out there and hopefully encourage more people with learning disabilities to come into hospital and get their appointments.”
Rachel Armitage, managing director at RCNi, said:
“We are overjoyed to honour Fiona for her hard work supporting people with learning disabilities in Devon. She is a magnificent example of a nurse who has gone above and beyond in her specialism and we hope that inspires many to consider a rewarding career in the nursing profession.”
Kate Garraway, RCNi Nurse Awards Ambassador 2018, said
“At a time when nurses are working harder than ever, it was an honour to present the RCNi Nurse Awards and give nurses like Fiona the recognition they deserve. Every single winner had an inspirational story, pioneering idea or outstanding project that showed just how important and heroic our nurses really are!”
The search for Britain’s nursing heroes began in December 2017. Nurses were able to nominate themselves or their colleagues across 14 different categories ranging from Mental Health and Cancer, to Emergency and Student Nursing. Shortlisted nurses were then interviewed by the RCNi Nurse Awards judges in May, ahead of the awards ceremony which took place on July 4.
