Sue Lovett: Compassion the key for Shropshire nurses

"Compassion has to be the key pillar," said the Oncology sister from Ward 23 at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

"I've been in nursing since the 1980s and there are many ways in which the profession has changed, but the principles of nursing haven't. What's most important at the end of the day is the patient.

"Part of the problem these days is that the NHS is so busy that it's easy to forget what really matters and, obviously, when somebody's dying their time at the end is very precious.

• Shining the spotlight on stars of Shropshire's health service

"You can have all the knowledge in the world, but without compassion it's not worth anything."A lot of the time it's about the little things – holding a hand or giving someone a hug. They only take a few minutes but they can mean so much to a patient.

"You hear so much bad press about the NHS that it's easy to think that staff don't care, but I know that they do."

Sue is the first nomination for the Public Choice Award in The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust Awards 2014. You'll find out how you can vote for Sue or any of the other nominees in Saturday's Shropshire Star.

So how does Sue manage to stay strong in what must, at times, be a very difficult environment? "Well I think I'm quite a strong person. I've had cancer myself and I think it's true what they say, that when things happen in life they do make you stronger.

"We also get a lot of strength from each other here on the ward. A lot of us have worked here for a long time, so we are able to support each other.

"I think everyone understands that, at times, things can be very difficult and so we try to retain a sense of humour."

The theme of togetherness is one that Sue returns to time and again. For while she heads up her team, she is keen to pay tribute to the staff nurses and health care assistants who make up the "Ward 23 family" .

"I wouldn't be able to do my job, as well as I think I do it, without knowing that that if I'm busy doing something and that there are other things on the ward that need attending too, they will be being done to a high standard, I can rely on them – this nomination is very much a team effort," she said.

Sue has already been a winner this year, landing the Patient's Choice Award prize at the Nursing Standard Nurse Awards, held at The Savoy in London. Sue's award was even more special because it was in the only category nominated and voted for by members of the public.

She was nominated by Amanda Jacobs, from Wolverhampton, who was overwhelmed by the care Sue gave to her husband Jake when he was a patient on the oncology ward. Sue made sure that Jake was able to spend vital hours at home for a family lunch shortly before he passed away.

"My husband, Richard (known as Jake), was admitted to the oncology ward, with side effects from stage five small bowel cancer. We knew his diagnosis was terminal but, at this stage, we thought he still had 18 months to two years to live, following seven cycles of chemotherapy. Within a week of admission, my husband lost the use of his legs and the sight in his right eye. We were hit with the terrible news that his cancer had spread to his brain and spinal cord and he only had weeks to live. Obviously we were devastated.

"Sister Sue Lovett was present when our oncologist broke the news and afterwards was unbelievably kind and empathetic. This was on the Friday. She asked my husband if he would like to go home for a few hours on Sunday when she was next on shift.

"This gave my husband the most unbelievable boost and something huge to focus on through the following day, although he was sceptical that it would actually happen.

"On Sunday morning Sister Sue came straight to my husband and began to arrange transport, as he was too poorly to go home by car. She fought hard with the site manager, who insisted that it was not appropriate for my husband to have transport "just to go home for a few hours" and finally, after some hours, my husband phoned me, elated to say he was on his way home!

"It so happened that Jake's sister who lives abroad was in the middle of a week's trip to visit him. That Sunday, my husband shared lunch with his brother, his sister and me in our home. Having his family together and sharing a meal was so important to Jake that day and those memories are very precious for us now. Jake died two weeks later and that visit was the last time he ever saw his home.

"I will never be able to express my thanks sufficiently to Sister Sue for going the extra mile and recognising the huge importance the visit home that day would have for us."

Reason for the awards and how to take part:

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust's annual Trust Awards are designed to highlight the enthusiastic and innovative efforts of staff at the organisation.

Each year they provide a snapshot of the passion and commitment of the thousands of staff who work at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and in the community, seeking every day to provide the best possible care for half a million people across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales.

The Public Choice Award is one of the 10 awards – and the only one to be voted for by the public.

All week, we're bringing you the stories of the five nominees. You can find out how to vote in Saturday's Shropshire Star.

This year's awards will take place in the reception area of the Shropshire Women and Children's Centre at the PRH at 2pm on September 11.

The ceremony will take place ahead of the trust's annual general meeting, which will be held at 3pm in the Education Centre.

Almost 100 nominations were made, a figure on a par with last year. Short-listing has taken place and about 45 nominees have been chosen as the finalists in the awards.

This year there is a revamped set of awards, with a focus on the trust's new values – Proud To Care, Make It Happen, We Value Respect and Together We Achieve.

Four new awards focus on each of the trust's values and there is also a Public Choice Award, which will be open to staff and the wider community to vote for the winner through the Shropshire Star.

The award categories for 2014 are:

• Quality of Care

• Proud To Care

• Make It Happen

• We Value Respect

• Together We Achieve

• Public Choice

• Research and Development

• Academies

• Ward/Department of the Year

• Leader of the Year

A judging panel featuring executive and non-executive directors, senior managers, members of the public and a representative from a partner organisation will decide the winners (Public Choice aside) at the start of next month.

Members of the public are invited to the awards presentation and the AGM and the trust would be delighted if they can attend the event.

If possible people are asked to please let the trust know in advance if they are planning to attend. This will help to ensure there is an information pack available for them, and that they are provided with details about parking on the day.

The Membership Office can be contacted by calling (01743) 261473 or alternatively by emailing members@sath.nhs.uk