Latest News | 16 March 2021
University of Derby lecturer wins top nursing honour
A senior lecturer at the University of Derby has won a prestigious nursing award.
Gerri Mortimore, a lecturer in Advanced Practice at the university, was named Nurse of the Year at the British Journal of Nursing Awards 2021.
The awards were announced at a virtual ceremony hosted by NHS Doctor and BAFTA Award-winning TV presenter Dr Ranj Singh, earlier this month.
Gerri shares the accolade with her colleague Yvonne Francis from the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
Gerri said: “I am honoured to have won the Nurse of the Year Award. It is a culmination of three years’ work to support the care of adult patients undergoing therapeutic venesection.”
In the award entry, Gerri and Yvonne highlighted their work with Haemochromatosis UK and their research into venesection, a common clinical procedure involving the removal of a volume of blood which is undertaken to treat thousands of patients across the country with genetic haemochromatosis, Polycythaemia Vera, idiopathic and secondary erythrocytosis.
The project, which involved input from over 200 nurses across the UK and Ireland, culminated in the Venesection Best Practice Guidelines, the only resource specific to this subject.
Gerri said: “I would like to thank Haemochromatosis UK and everyone who has been involved in developing this valuable resource, which has been recognised for its significance by the Royal College of Nursing who have endorsed the guidance.”
Dr Paula Holt MBE, pro vice-chancellor dean of the College of Health, Psychology and Social Care at the University of Derby, said: “The title of Nurse of the Year is an outstanding achievement and richly deserved.
“To be recognised by the British Journal of Nursing reflects the impact that Gerri’s hard work and research has had on improving patient safety, through the development of best practice guidance for venesection.”
