Newly qualified nurse hailed as 'guardian angel' thanked by family after her compassion supported end-of-life patient to die with 'dignity'
Only months into her first role as a Registered Nurse at UHDB, Agata Chirek has been praised by a family for her care, compassion and support throughout their father's final days.
Agata works on Ward 407 at Royal Derby Hospital and supported Peter Bray last year, who was on end-of-life care. His family have shared their thanks through the Making a Difference Awards, saying she made their 'darkest days brighter'.
Peter's children, Leighanna, Ashley and Darryl, wanted to recognise Agata and her support, with Leighanna saying: "The care and compassion received from Agata was so special. She explained what was happening every step of the way and made sure we were guided through everything as well as ensuring my dad was comfortable and his dignity protected. She would come and sit with me when she could, holding my dad's other hand and listening to me talk about the past and the memories I had with him."
Last week, Agata was surprised with the Making a Difference Award on the ward: "I'm absolutely speechless. We always give our best at work, but it doesn’t cross your mind how much impact this can have on our patients and their families, especially at difficult times."
Earlier this month it was Dying Matters Awareness Week (5-11 May), with colleagues from the End-of-Life Care team encouraging patients, colleagues, and communities to talk about death, dying and grief - particularly in the workplace. Agata explained: "The thing with End-of-Life Care is you can only get it right once. It's so important to take the time to listen and support the patient and their family through the process. It's something I often remind myself."
Executive Chief Nurse, Garry Marsh, presented Agata with the award: "To be acknowledged in this way from a patient's family after only three months in role is an outstanding achievement and Agata should be very proud of her commitment to delivering care with impact. The time Agata took out of her day to support this patient and their family really shows how small acts can hold lasting impressions on the communities we serve."
Agata comes from a family of healthcare professionals, with her sister also working as a nurse in the Emergency department at Queen's Hospital Burton. Agata completed her nursing placement on the Renal Ward at Royal Derby Hospital and joined the team permanently once qualified. She said: "I loved the team so much and enjoyed my time here during placement that I knew this is where I wanted to be once I'd completed all my qualifications and training."
Peter's family said: "Agata is an amazing nurse and we wanted to pass on our recognition and thanks to her. She will be remembered as our guardian angel through the toughest of times."
You can watch Agata being surprised with the award below.
Would you like to nominate a colleague for a Monthly Making a Difference Award?
If you would like to nominate a colleague or team for a Monthly Making a Difference Award, please let us know.
Our Monthly Making a Difference Awards celebrate those who have shown exceptional care and who have delivered improvements across safety, quality, effectiveness and patient experience and demonstrated the Trust values of Compassion, Openness and Excellence.
There are three monthly Making a Difference Awards categories:
- Chief Executive Award – chosen by our CEO
- Patient Hero Award – nominated by patients
- Excellence Award - you can nominate colleagues and teams
You can nominate in two ways:
- By completing this new e-form which will be sent directly to our awards team >
- By sending a 300 word nomination, along with the name of the team or individual, their job title and where they work, to: uhdb.employeeawards@nhs.net