Nuffield Health’s quality lead for infection prevention nurse Chris Finch has been awarded the Silver Chief Nursing Officer’s Award for her leadership within infection prevention and control during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The award, which is seldom given to nurses working in the independent sector, was launched in 2019 to recognise nurses and midwives for major contributions to patients and the profession.
Finch was nominated by her colleagues at Nuffield Health for her leadership during the pandemic, which had an immediate and far-reaching impact across the organisation.
Nuffield Health chief nurse and clinical director Carol Kefford said Finch had played a pivotal role in creating a sense of ‘we can do this’ across the charity during the Covid-19 pandemic.
‘She has layered infection, prevention and control expertise, leadership talent and considerable energy. She is a nurse at heart so that our patients and our teams have been protected,’ added Kefford. ‘Her impact is greater than her achievements during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nurses want to be part of her team and learn from her.’
The award was presented by chief nursing officer for England Ruth May during a virtual nursing leadership meeting at Nuffield Health.
Accepting the award, Finch said: ‘Our infection, prevention and control team pulled together so well at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and we shared knowledge across the charity. I thank everyone who has played such a valuable role, from our housekeepers, matrons, hospital teams and fitness and wellbeing centre sites – it was a real team effort during such a challenging time.’
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