Awards for new Hampshire nurses

Nearly 70 new nurses and midwives who trained at Basingstoke, Andover and Winchester hospitals came together for the ceremony at The Lights, in Andover, to mark the successful completion of their degrees.

The students, who studied at Surrey, Southampton and Bournemouth universities while training, all received a Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) badge at the ceremony which they will wear on their uniforms for the rest of their careers to show where they trained.

They were watched by their friends, families and members of the board and governors of the trust, who attended the event, at which Basingstoke and Deane Mayor Councillor Dan Putty was a VIP guest.

Congratulations The presentations were made by HHFT chief nurse Donna Green, who congratulated those present on their achievements.

She said: “The nursing and midwifery badge ceremony allows us to publically celebrate with the nurses, midwives, colleagues and families the end of their training and the start of what we hope to be a long and happy career.

“I would like to extend my congratulations to our newly-qualified nurses and midwives and hope that they will be proud to wear the badge from their training hospitals.”

Along with the presentations of the badges, a number of special awards were also announced.

The Taverner Award for student nurse of the year was awarded jointly to two nurses who trained at Basingstoke hospital – Vida Asamoah, for her “all-round excellence” and Sophie Jasper for being “the most natural nurse” her mentor had worked with.

The student midwife of the year award was presented to Keri Manley, who trained at Winchester hospital and was nominated by her mentor, who described her as an “amazing midwife.”

The nomination read: “Keri builds relationships with women and their families quickly and professionally. To me, she demonstrates the perfect balance of professionalism, caring, independent, confident and sensitive.”