The honour was bestowed at the healthcare provider’s annual ‘’Star Awards’’ evening, where colleagues receive acknowledgement for how they have exhibited the Trust values and gone the extra mile for the sake of patients and their fellow team members. In order to celebrate a wide range of achievements, multiple categories are showcased throughout the event- including those that recognise the efforts of volunteers, to accolades for unsung heroes and the best leaders.
The ‘’Rising Star’’ award shines a light on those individuals who have made great strides in the past 12 months, developing in their role and learning new skills. For 2019, this distinction went to Rebecca Burns, Clinical Support Coordinator, in recognition of the first-rate care that she delivers.
Originally employed as a healthcare assistant (HCA) in Doncaster Royal Infirmary’s (DRI) Mallard Ward – an area of the hospital that treats those living with delirium and dementia – Rebecca began in a very demanding role, but always ensured that patients and relatives were comfortable and looked after. This compassionate approach was noticed by colleagues, including her education lead, who nominated her for the Rising Star award, noting that ‘’Rebecca is a massive asset to the Trust’’ and that they have never met a more committed member of staff.
A great ambassador of person centred care, she makes time for all her patients and takes their individual needs into account, be that by helping them get dressed, washing their hair, listening to their stories, or just keeping them company when they need someone to talk to. In short, she is always attentive and respectful with her vulnerable patients, and understands that no two of them are the same. What’s more she is keen to pass her knowledge on to colleagues and openly shares her experiences of working in the mallard ward to prepare new starters.
On behalf of the ward, Rebecca has also linked in with the palliative care team, who support people in the last months of their lives. In this challenging role, she has once again distinguished herself by going above and beyond to ensure that Mallard’s end of life provision is of the highest possible standard. For example, she brings palliative ‘care’ trays to the ward, designed to support relatives during visits, and takes the time to educate staff on how to communicate with people going through the difficult process.
Rebecca’s contributions do not stop there however, as the dedicated coordinator regularly helps out with the planning of activities for Mallard and collaborated with First Bus Group to introduce a comforting bus stop, that serves as a familiar environment for dementia patients . She also recently completed a National Vocational Qualification, for which she was nominated for a special recognition award.
After the ceremony, Rebecca said: ‘I am so touched to have received this award, especially given how amazing all the other nominees were. Making sure that our patients are treated with kindness and like individuals is something that I am incredibly passionate about, as I believe that it enables us to provide even better care to patients. It’s very fulfilling work and having my colleagues recognise it in this way is truly an honour. Thank you. ’
The DBTH Star Awards were held on Thursday 19 September at the Doncaster Dome and were presented by BBC Look North’s Harry Gration, MBE. With 11 awards handed out over the course of the evening – such as Patient Champion, Leader of the Year and Rising Star – it was certainly a memorable night for all.