Co Tyrone renal nurse wins top RCNi award

Renal Home Therapies nurse Alison Cairns, a former pupil of Cookstown High School is part of the Renal team based at Altnagelvin Hospital.

The team (Alison Cairns, Bridgeen Canning and Caroline McCloskey) were the only entrants from Northern Ireland to have been shortlisted for the Patients’ Choice Award.

They were nominated by Carmel and Joe McMonagle for their commitment to patient welfare and involvement, before being selected for a five-strong shortlist that was put to a public vote. Thousands of people took part in the voting, with the Renal team emerging as winners.

Alison said: “We are totally delighted and would like to extend our thanks to everyone who voted for us. This has been such an amazing experience. The process of public voting has allowed us to talk about what we do and has helped raise awareness of chronic kidney disease. “We are all proud to be nurses but winning this award we realised we’ve done nursing proud as well.

Joe McMonagle and his wife Carmel also attended the awards ceremony with the Renal Unit team.

Mr McMonagle said: “Both Carmel and myself are delighted that Alison, Bridgeen and Caroline won the Patients Choice Award.

“This thoroughly deserved Award is their patients’ way of saying thank you to the team for all their hard work, dedication, commitment and compassion over the years. A brilliant achievement for an outstanding team of Nurses!”

Expressing her congratulations, Chief Executive of the Western Trust, Dr Anne Kilgallen said she was “enormously proud” of the team.