Jacquie’s one in a million
Congratulations to healthcare support worker Jacquie Betts who has received the prestigious Chief Nursing Officer of England Award in recognition of her outstanding commitment to supporting patients.
The Chief Nursing Officer Award rewards the significant and outstanding contribution made by healthcare support workers who consistently demonstrate the NHS values in their everyday roles.
Jacquie, who works as part of the enhanced care team on George Earle, looks after some of our most vulnerable patients by providing therapeutic interventions to people who are in hospital for a very long time. She organises fun sessions such as bingo, quizzes and sing-alongs to help keep patients mentally stimulated and engaged during the day, and opportunities to meet other people to avoid becoming lonely during their stay.
Chief Nurse, Nicola McMinn, presented Jacquie with her award during a surprise ceremony in the Rose Garden at Torbay Hospital, where she was joined by her colleagues who were in on the secret. Nicola said: “Healthcare support workers are the beating heart of our clinical settings and local communities and make a real difference to the lives of our patients. They’re integral to our workforce and I am so pleased that Jacquie’s commitment to providing such vital care has been recognised at a national level.
“Jaquie has been instrumental in shaping and advancing our enhanced care strategy with her focus on therapeutic activities, and walking past one of her sessions is a heart-warming experience which create moments of joy and connection and significantly enhance patients’ wellbeing during their stay.
“Jaquie’s ability to motivate and inspire others makes her an invaluable asset to our enhanced care team and she delivers care with compassion. Our patients, their families and our colleagues are incredibly fortunate to have her; she embodies the very best of patient-centred care and we are honoured to have her as part of our team.”
Jacquie was presented with a certificate and commemorative badge, and flowers and cakes from her colleagues. She said: “I’m feeling overwhelmed. It’s what I do, it’s what the patients need, they need to be involved in the activities, they need to be away from their bedside and get their brains stimulated by giving them things to do. It’s important to them and helps them during their hospital stay.
This helps them during their hospital stay. I feel it’s so important for them.”
