Fran McKenzie, Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist in stoma care at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, was presented with a crystal rosebowl at a dinner held at the Hotel du Vin in Glasgow, attended by members of her family and representatives from Salts.
Having trained at St Bartholomews Hospital in London, Fran worked on the Urology and Surgical wards at the Glasgow Royal and also gained an RMN qualification in Psychiatry. It was during a secondment in 1985, originally covering maternity leave, that her passion for stoma care was ignited. “In stoma care, I could really make use of both my qualifications and help patients, both physically and psychologically, to deal with their condition and this really interested me,” she said.
With numerous achievements under her belt, one of Fran's most memorable successes was seeing her Stoma Care Department become the first in the UK to gain Charter Mark accreditation in 1997. The Charter Mark was awarded to organisations providing excellent public services, setting standards, performing well, and demonstrating continuous improvements.
“One of the most rewarding parts of my job is seeing my patients getting better and making sure we were offering them the best possible levels of care from pre-operation through to after-care, so we were delighted to gain the Charter Mark which proved that we were doing just that,” she said.
During her 26 years in stoma care, Fran has had a huge impact in the field. She's become a well known figure, regularly writing articles and giving presentations on her research findings (including at the World Congress of Enterostomal Therapists), and generally inspiring colleagues and peers both in the UK and abroad. Fran was put forward for the nomination by one of these peers. Wishing to remain anonymous, she said: “I'm just one of many Stoma Care Nurses up and down the country who would agree that Fran really deserves this award for her services to stoma care and for going above and beyond the call of duty to promote the best possible care for patients, whether or not they are under her personal care. She's always provided advice and support when required and many patients will have benefited greatly from her input over the years.”
Fran added: “I was over the moon to discover I'd won this award, if a little shocked as I hadn't got a clue that I'd even been nominated and I feel really honoured to be recognised in this way.”
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