Carryduff nurse Angela winner of outstanding contribution award

5 July 2023

TWO local nurses have won awards at the annual Royal College of Nursing Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year Awards held recently in the Culloden Hotel.

Carryduff’s Angela McLernon won the Kathleen Robb Award for outstanding contribution to nursing, while Ballygowan’s Linda Graham was runner-up in the Independent Sector Nursing Award.

With a professional background in nursing and health visiting, Angela was later appointed as an Assistant Director of Nursing, managing a range of community nursing services.

Her career has included a series of nursing leadership roles, serving initially as a nursing officer at the Department of Health before a period as interim Chief Nursing Officer from 2011 and as Chief Executive of NIPEC from 2014.

Angela was praised for demonstrating the courage to speak out for those in need, the disadvantaged and those marginalised at all ages and in all places.

She was described as a caring nurse, a professional leader, a champion of those in need and a leader who demonstrates humility with strength.

Linda, who is the regional manager of Spa Nursing Home Group, was nominated for being an ambassador for the independent sector and praised for her capacity to develop innovative quality improvement initiatives and influence on behalf of the nursing profession and patients.

She represents the independent sector on the Department of Health Nursing and Midwifery Task Group work stream on workforce stabilisation and co-chairs the work on a safe staffing model for the sector.

Linda’s nominator described her as an inspirational leader who empowers nurses to reflect and develop.

“Her compassion, professionalism and vision for improving standards of care are fundamental to her as a nurse,” the nominator added.

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