Cardiff and Vale UHB children's nurse receives 'Inspirational Nurse' award

04 October 2024

Rhian Greenslade, the WellChild Discharge Liaison Nurse for Children with Complex Health Needs at the Noah’s Ark Children's Hospital for Wales, has been named as a winner in the prestigious national 2024 WellChild Awards.

The awards, organised by the national charity for seriously ill children WellChild, were presented at a ceremony on Monday 30th September at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London and attended by WellChild Patron, Prince Harry. Rhian was recognised with the ‘Inspirational Nurse’ award and got to spend time chatting to the Duke of Sussex.

In her role Rhian helps children with complex medical needs transition from hospital to home, providing support and guidance to families across six health boards and strives to ensure they can access both emotional and practical support when they leave hospital.

Rhian said: “The award was an honour. I never started my nursing career 35 years ago expecting to win an award. It has been a privilege working with children and young people with complex health needs over the last 24 years. They definitely teach you about life’s priorities and make you see life in a different perspective. It has been through caring for this patient group in the community and acute settings that has given me my passion to promote and advocate for the needs for children and young people with complex health needs.

“The award ceremony was amazing and the whole event from meeting Prince Harry and the other award winners made it a truly unforgettable evening. It has reinforced how lucky I am and made me so grateful to work with a team of professionals in paediatrics, in the community and acute settings in Cardiff and the Vale.”

The nomination for the award came from her colleague Laura Truscott-Wright, WellChild Parent Trainer Nurse at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. Laura said, “Her dedication, kindness and compassion when carrying out her role is inspiring. Nothing runs as smoothly without Rhian, which is a credit to her and to WellChild. She works tirelessly, and always with a smile on her face and a kind word, to ensure families can take their children with complex needs home. Her work has been appreciated by many families over the years.”

As one of the longest-serving WellChild Nurses, with more than 15 years in her current role and over 30 years nursing experience, Rhian has made an immeasurable impact on the lives of thousands of children and their families. Beyond her day-to-day nursing duties, she is a passionate advocate for the WellChild charity, actively supporting campaigns and fundraising activities, to see children with complex medical needs thriving at home.