Cardiff and Vale UHB Mental Health Nurse Madelaine Watkins named RCN Wales Nurse of the Year 2024
26 November 2024
Madelaine Watkins, Clinical Nurse Specialist for Psychosis in Older Adults, was named RCN Wales Nurse of the Year 2024 at a ceremony last Thursday (21 November).
Madelaine works within Mental Health Services for Older People (MHSOP) at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. Her amazing efforts to improve access for older persons dealing with psychosis, and educating staff earned her the title of Wales Nurse of the Year.
In a pilot role created just four years ago, following an audit finding only 10% of people affected by psychosis received therapy, this inspirational nurse has transformed the approach to treatment and support, delivering psychosis training to over 100 colleagues. Madelaine provides critical, trauma-informed therapies, giving people and their families more autonomy when interventions are necessary. She adopts the language the person uses to describe their symptoms to enable a personalised approach to therapy.
The judging panel called Madelaine an inspirational nurse who has consistently demonstrated a passion to provide a better patient experience, dedicating her nursing career to the improvement of services advocating for an overlooked group in society.
Madelaine Watkins said: “This award means the world to me. It will give me a platform to showcase what clinical nurse specialists can do and to raise awareness of an underrepresented and disempowered group of older people having distressing experiences sometimes described as psychosis.
“By moving from a medical model towards a trauma-informed approach, with more psychological and social support, the benefits to treatment and healing outcomes are undeniable.
“I want to inspire more nursing staff to work in this field and help both students and newly qualified nurses to realise the career opportunities in mental health nursing.”
Helen Whyley, Executive Director RCN Wales, said: "We are immensely proud to celebrate the achievements of this year's overall Nurse of the Year winner. As a clinical nurse specialist, Madelaine has made a remarkable impact by improving the lives of people with psychosis and empowering her colleagues to provide the highest standard of care. Her dedication, expertise, and commitment to innovation exemplify the very best of our profession. She is an inspiration to us all and a shining example of how nurses transform lives every day.”
“We look forward to Madelaine highlighting the work of mental health nurses in the coming year and I know she will be an excellent ambassador for the profession."
Madelaine also won the ‘Registered Nurse Mental Health Award’.
Huge congratulations to Madelaine Watkins for her wins of Nurse of the Year 2024 and the Registered Nurse Mental Health Award. We are delighted to see her receive this accolade and appreciate all her work with older adults.
And massive congratulations to
Lisa Franklin, winner of the Nurse Education Award
Tim Nicholls, winner of the Specialist Nursing Award
Julia Somerford, winner of the Improving Individual and Population Health Award
Kim Baker, runner up in the Community and Primary Care Nursing Award
Jade Cole, runner up in the Adult Registered Nurse Award
Diana Mehrez, runner up in the Specialist Nursing Award