Alison Thomas recounts her experience of winning the Dr Falk / Guts UK (previously Core) Award
‘Winning the award has been a game changer for me both personally and professionally,’ recounts Alison Thomas of her 2015 award for her development of satellite clinics in primary care which aim to support and empower patients with dyspepsia.
‘Nurses can be a little hesitant about sharing the good work they do and I initially thought I wouldn’t stand a chance of winning such a prestigious award. Yet simple projects or clinical interventions can have incredible benefits for patients. Sharing good practice, innovative projects and services is of benefit not just to the nurse who shares, but to the patients who use the service and other healthcare professionals who may be seeking to develop improved healthcare practices.
‘The application process was also much easier than I expected it to be. I already had the support of my clinical mentor so the process of obtaining supervisor comment was straightforward. In fact, the hardest part was editing my work down to 200 words!’
As well as personal benefits, previous entrants have highlighted the professional advantages of winning.
‘I used the prize money to obtain a prescribing qualification and I am now an independent prescriber with more autonomy in my work and able to be of benefit for patients as to reduce waiting times at endoscopy,’ adds Alison.
‘I would encourage any of my colleagues to enter the awards. It has been a great personal and professional experience.’
To find out more about Alison’s winning project click here.
Visit https://gutscharity.org.uk/research/grants-and-awards/the-guts-uk-dr-falk-awards/ to apply for the Nurse/Dietitian Recognition Prize