Corbridge nurse in line for national award

Emily Pitkethly, who works in the elderly assessment and ambulatory care unit at Hexham General Hospital, is shortlisted in the Nursing Times Awards 2018.

The ‘rising star’ award recognises Emily for progressing her career while helping more elderly people receive care closer to home.

Emily, from Corbridge, qualified as a nurse in March, 2014 and started her career in the hospital’s urgent care centre.

She then moved to work in the elderly assessment and ambulatory care unit, which assesses and treats frail older people who have complex care needs.

Emily has trained to be a nurse practitioner and non-medical prescriber and now leads the unit’s nursing team. She is also studying for a master’s degree, specialising in elderly care.

“I’m really proud to be shortlisted for this award and would like to thank my colleagues for all the support they’ve given me to help me develop and progress, and the Trust for the opportunities,” she said.

“It makes such a difference to elderly people and their families to be able to have as much care as possible locally, and I’m passionate about helping to make this happen for as many patients as we can in the Hexham area.”

This nomination for Emily comes four years after she received the Trust’s student nurse of the year award for her ‘knowledge, confidence and professionalism’.

Executive director of nursing and midwifery at Northumbria Healthcare Ellie Monkhouse said: “Emily has shown great commitment to the nursing profession to progress her career so rapidly.

“Her dedication to helping more patients receive care closer to home is clear to see, and we’re pleased to have her in our Trust.”

Another nurse from Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Kirsty McVay, a theatre nurse at the Northumbria Hospital, will join Emily at the awards ceremony on October 31 in London.

Kirsty is nominated for the ‘nurse of the year’ award for her work as part of a surgery team in Tanzania.