Devon nurse receives country’s top accolade

Tina Grose picks up prestigious Chief Nursing Officer Silver Award

A cancer nurse at the RD&E has received one of the country’s top nursing awards for her contributions in improving patient care.

Tina Grose, Lead Cancer Nurse at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, has received a prestigious Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Silver Award by Ruth May, CNO for NHS England and NHS Improvement, during a visit to the Trust last week.

Announced earlier this year, the CNO Silver award is designed to recognise major contributions to patients and the profession for nurses and midwives, while the CNO Gold award recognises lifetime achievements for nurses and midwives.

Tina was nominated by Zita Martinez, Head of Midwifery and Assistant Director of Nursing at the RD&E, who said: “Tina has an unwavering and enduring compassion and, even under the most challenging of circumstances, never loses sight of the fundamental needs of patients, their families and the wider workforce.

“Tina has remarkable entrepreneurial vision which far surpasses mandated service expectations. An example of this is the pivotal role she played in the implementation of the ‘Living with and beyond Cancer’ agenda; testing and exceeding the boundaries of national expectations to empower and support all patients with cancer to assume control of their care.”

"Tina's knowledge, experience, skills and selflessness enable her to be an expert resource relied on trust wide; her calm diplomacy and non-judgemental approach amidst the busyness of life in a large acute hospital, ensures that the patient's voice is never lost.”

Tina said: “I am honoured that nursing leadership has been recognised with such a wonderful award. This has only been possible by working alongside amazing multidisciplinary teams dedicated to providing the best possible care for our patients. I am overwhelmed at the kind words I have received since the award - I have been very lucky to have been given the opportunity and feel very privileged.”