An inspirational nurse from Bury has been rewarded for her contributions to the social care sector with a prestigious award.
Karen Davies, 58, has been awarded the Gold Chief Nurse Adult Social Care Award, which recognises a select number of nurses in the UK each year who go above and beyond to make outstanding contributions in the field. She was nominated for the top-level award by Joanne Bosanquet, Chief Executive at Foundation of Nursing Studies, in recognition of her skill, expertise and compassion.
The mum-of-five received the award in a virtual online awards ceremony presentation by the Department of Health and Social Care’s Chief Nurse, Deborah Sturdy. After 16 years as registered manager at Rose Court Care Home in Radcliffe, Karen is retiring from the post this week.
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And she said receiving the award was an emotional send-off into retirement.
Karen, who is an honorary lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University, told the M.E.N.: " I am very, very shocked and absolutely delighted at receiving this award. I am rarely stuck for words, but I couldn’t even speak.
"I was very teary-eyed. My family were over the moon.
"I am blown away by the recognition- it’s such a lovely feeling for people that you respect so much to recognise what you do."
Nursing has been Karen's passion since she began her training in 1982. She went from being a community nurse to the social care sector, where she has managed care homes and trained other nurses to manage their own care homes.
Raising the profile of nurses who work in the social care sector is of paramount importance to Karen.
The grandma-of-four continued: "Being a care home nurse is very different than being a nurse in an acute, fast-paced hospital. Nobody does what we do.
"It’s a nurse-led service. Nursing homes are run by nurses and are generally managed by nurses- and they are working autonomously and independently.
“A lot of it is about developing relationships, helping people live their best lives and supporting someone when they are at their most vulnerable.
"I think that's a level of skills and expertise that sometimes goes unrecognised and should be celebrated. I wouldn’t have worked anywhere else other than this sector."
Giving up a Christmas Day or New Year is the norm for Karen, as she has spent those holidays on duty every year since 1982.
"Christmas 2022 will be my first Christmas since 1982 that I will have not been working or on call," Karen explained. "I have always made it my business to visit my care home on Christmas Day.
"Being on call in a care home means you are conscious of who is not well, who needs help, who has got Covid and so on. I have to make sure the right skillset is there, so we can deliver care appropriately and safely.
"If you're a nurse, then you commit to giving up Christmases, and the long shifts are a given. You might get fed up about it, but nurses generally have a good laugh.
"You can make the most of that situation- you can celebrate Christmas on another day with your children. It’s not being an angel or a hero, it’s what you do when you are a nurse."
Over the years, Karen has used her expertise in nursing to positively influence the social care sector. She has also articles published in national publications including the Nursing Times and Nursing Older People Journal.
During the pandemic, Karen sat on a panel called the Greater Manchester Infection Prevention Control in Care Homes Cell with other public health officials. They delivered webinars on the government's Covid guidance and supported care home managers across Greater Manchester to provide the best care possible.
"W orking on that panel, I really felt that we were influencing change," Karen described. " The Covid guidance was changing so quickly, so it was tough for care homes.
"We felt it was necessary to reach out to care home managers and give them an opportunity to listen to the experts and to ask questions. It was about educating our residents, our relatives, our staff.
"My strapline has always been ‘we are creating history, this has never been done before’. I had to make sure all the managers didn't feel isolated and they knew how to deliver those messages to their teams."
Another career highlight for Karen was when she pioneered a new method of measuring medication in a care home setting.
She said: "I have developed something called a liquid medication monitoring system. It’s a way of measuring liquid medication- I believe it's the only audit process in the world that does that."
Finally, Karen revealed the hardest thing about saying goodbye to Rose Court Care Home, which is managed by care company HC-One. She added: " Oh my goodness, we have had tears- I will really miss the care home residents and the whole team at Rose Court.
"We are a family. We spend so much time together and we look after each other Some of my staff have said ‘what am I going to do without you, you are my work mum!' There’s nothing nicer than when people trust you enough to consider you a part of their family.
"I have absolutely loved working with HC-One. They deliver the kindest care possible in each home and they very much focus on the individual's needs.
"I have finished what I wanted to do at Rose Court and it's time to pass it on- I couldn't imagine being a care home manager anywhere else."
Retirement plans for Karen include going on holiday and spending time with her loved ones, but she aims to continue utilising her nursing skills with further opportunities.
Rachel Bradbury, Interim Managing Director at HC-One, said, “Winning this well-respected award is a testament to the dedication of Karen over many years of service and even in the most challenging of times. Karen has truly gone above and beyond to provide the kindest care to residents living at Rose Court Care Home and support to colleagues, relatives and those within our local community, supporting our mission at HC-One to be the first-choice care provider in each of the communities that we serve.”
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