Top award for local cancer nurse

A NURSE from Warrington has been named “Oncology Nurse of the Year” for her work at Manchester’s famous Christie Hospital.
Lorraine Turner, from Grappenhall, has been honoured by the British Journal of Nursing.
She is an advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) working within the field of experimental cancer medicine, a post which is a relatively new phenomenon.
When she joined the experimental cancer medicine team (ECMT) at The Christie in 2012 she was the first qualified ANP working within the clinical research facility both at The Christie and nationally.
The British Journal of Nursing Awards acknowledges the enormous contribution individual nurses make towards the development of the profession as a whole. National professional awards such as these shine a light where it is most deserved, and also raise the profile and understanding of how nursing is at the centre of all patient care.
The judges were impressed by Lorraine’s efforts to increase the number of patients at The Christie offered early phase clinical trials. Many of these patients have exhausted all other treatment options and involvement in clinical trials remains their only hope.
Lorraine led an audit looking at patient referral pathways into early phase trials within the ECMT.
The results have led to a change in practice and an increase in collaboration amongst disease groups within The Christie. The referral process has been simplified meaning that patients are referred and assessed earlier, and if eligible have the opportunity to gain access to early phase trials.
Lorraine said; “I was absolutely overwhelmed to win the award. There is some amazing work going on in the field of oncology nursing as shown by my colleagues who were shortlisted, and to win was both humbling and an honour.
“This really was a team effort from everyone at The Christie. I have amazing and supportive colleagues and our aim is to put the patients at the heart of everything we do. Before I started this piece of work I thought we may be missing some patients who could benefit from early phase trials, now I’m confident we’re offering this cutting edge option to those who need it most.”
Allowing patients access to information and the opportunity to participate in a Phase I trial is paramount as it is a potential treatment option for patients with advanced cancer.