A PETERLEE care home nurse has been named a national winner at The Great British Care Awards – one of the biggest awards events on the sector’s calendar.
Andrea Ramshaw, the clinical lead nurse at Bannatyne Lodge Care Home, on Manor Way, received the Social Care Nurse Award at a glittering awards ceremony at the ICC, in Birmingham.
Andrea made it through to the final after collecting the regional North East and Scotland award in November last year.
She was up against more than half a dozen fellow care home nurses from across the country at the finals, when she received her award from ceremony host and TV presenter Vernon Kay.
Andrea said: “I am overwhelmed with winning these awards, first regionally and now nationally. It’s a huge achievement to me. I will continue doing what I do best: caring.
“I believe I am someone who genuinely cares about the people I care for. My goal is to ensure that I can provide and support each of them to the best of my ability and listen to theirs and their families’ wishes. It costs nothing to care.”
On naming Andrea the winner, judges said: “Andrea has made a profound impact on countless lives. Through hard work and dedication, she has advanced her career, continually striving to enhance her knowledge and skills.
“However, Andrea is more than a nurse – she is a compassionate individual who genuinely cares about people. Her keen observation of their needs, combined with her empathy, allows her to provide exceptional care that goes beyond the clinical.
“Andrea’s commitment to improving the well-being of others is truly remarkable and deeply felt by all she supports.”
The Great British Care Awards celebrates excellence across the care sector, with categories for all areas of social care from the independent and voluntary sectors, including residential, home care, housing with care, learning disabilities and autism services, children and young people services, and suppliers.
The social care nurse category acknowledges the role of specialist nurses in promoting the emotional, physical, psychological, and social health of the people they support, with the winner able to demonstrate how nursing skills integrate with social care.
Beverley Stubbs, home manager at Bannatyne Lodge Care Home, said: “All of us at Bannatyne Lodge Care Home are very proud of Andrea, our clinical lead nurse.
“Receiving the award shows the dedication she has to our residents on a daily basis.”