Nominate your nursing star

Claire Rayner Patient’s Choice Award launches today

Has a nurse, midwife, health visitor or healthcare assistant made a real difference to you or a loved one?  Now you can say a huge ‘thank you’ by nominating them for a unique Nursing Standard award. 

Launched today by the UK’s best-selling nursing journal, Nursing Standard, the Patient’s Choice Award 2012 provides the public with a very special opportunity to highlight and reward outstanding practice within the nursing profession. 

‘Nurses strive to give the best possible care to their patients. Now patients and their loved ones have the chance to put their heartfelt thanks on record,’ says Nursing Standard’s editor in chief and editorial director, Jean Gray. ‘Nursing Standard is delighted to offer this wonderful opportunity to recognise and celebrate those nurses from all over the UK who have performed above and beyond the call of duty.’

Alongside appealing directly to the public, Nursing Standard is urging every organisation - whether in the NHS, the community or the independent sector - to tell their patients about this award, encouraging them to nominate those nurses who have gone the extra mile.

To nominate a nurse, midwife, health visitor or healthcare assistant, members of the public can visit www.patients-choice.co.uk or call 020 8423 1066 to request an entry form. The closing date for nominations is 16 December 2011.   

Last year, Nursing Standard received almost 200 nominations featuring nurses, patients and families from villages, towns and cities throughout the UK for this very special award, which is named in honour of the well known and much loved nurse, journalist and patient’s champion, Claire Rayner, who died in October 2010. 

‘We want to see as many nurses put forward for this award as possible,’ says Nursing Standard’s editorial director. ‘And remember that everyone who is nominated receives a special certificate to commemorate their achievement.’

After voting closes, an expert panel of judges will select three finalists. Members of the public will then be invited to vote for the nurse who they believe most deserves the accolade. The winner will receive their award - including a prize of £1,000 - at a prestigious ceremony, held at the Hilton Park Lane in London on 22 March 2012.