Proud Pauline picks up nursing award after being praised by patients

May 13 2011 by Lynn Jolly, Paisley Daily Express

THE tireless care and compassion of mother-of-two Pauline McNeary earned her a top nursing award yesterday.

Proud Pauline, 45, was presented with the Imelda Colton Best Practice Award in Nursing Care to coincide with yesterday’s International Nurses Day.

The honour is a fitting reward for Pauline’s hard work which has resulted in countless letters being sent to her from thankful families praising her skills and humanity.

The award was given to her by Renfrewshire Community Health Partnership in memory of Imelda, who was one of its most dedicated and inspirational nurses.

District nurse Pauline, from Johnstone, told the Paisley Daily Express: “I am surprised and very honoured to receive this award which recognises the dedication of my nursing team and our focus on continuing to provide high standards of patient care.

“I am very proud, on behalf of my team, because without them I wouldn’t be able to do the work I do and I wouldn’t be standing here today accepting this award.”

The award was launched in 2009 in memory of Imelda’s dedication and life-long commitment to promoting best practice and the continuous improvement of the quality of care and experience of older patients.

It was presented to Pauline, who works out of Johnstone Health Centre, for her “exceptional care and compassion – the core values of nursing”.

Modest Pauline added: “This is just part of the job. It is what I do. We follow up with families who have suffered a bereavement to make sure they are OK.

“I work with all types of patients and see anyone who can’t manage in to see their GP. We do things like pick up cancer patients and take them to appointments.

“It is lovely to get the award in Imelda’s name and to follow in her shoes.”

Pauline, who has been a nurse since 1983 and did her training at the former Royal Alexandra Infirmary and the Royal Alexandra Hospital, both in Paisley, received the award at a ceremony in Renfrew Health and Social Work Centre.

Her husband David and children Lisa and Matthew are delighted for her, as are her many colleagues throughout Renfrewshire.

Senior nurse Pat Spencer, chair of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s area nursing and midwifery committee, said: “This is a proud day for Pauline. The committee has been focusing on raising the public profile of what nurses do on a day-to-day basis, and Pauline is a great example of this.”

Highly-respected Imelda worked for many years at Johnstone Hospital, the RAH and in the community – and she devoted herself to initiatives, which promoted patients rights, privacy, dignity and compassionate care to older people and their families and carers.

She passed away in 2008 in her mid-forties and her premature death was a great loss to her family, friends, colleagues and patients.

Rosslyn Crocket, the health board’s director of nursing, added: “Pauline is an inspirational nurse. She has displayed utter dedication to ensuring that the experience of patients and their families is the best it can possibly be. There is no doubt that Pauline and her nursing team routinely go that extra mile for their patients and she is an absolute credit to the profession.

“Testament to her skills is the volume of letters we have received from patients, their families and carers praising both her clinical expertise but also her compassion. In one letter a grieving family tell of how Pauline helped them come to terms with the loss of their loved one.

“Pauline more than deserves this award and I am sure that Imelda would be proud that an award in her name has been presented to her.”