A HAMPSHIRE nurse has been shortlisted for the Nurse of the Year Competition.

Fiona Brown was nominated by a colleague at terminal illness support charity Marie Curie for her care to people with cancer and other terminal illnesses, as well as their families, and is now in the running with hopes to win against many other nominees in a competition run by health recruitment company Hays Healthcare.

The Nurse of the Year award recognises exceptional nursing talent and provides vital funding for the industry, with the winner receiving a donation of £1,000 and runners up £500 to allocate to their chosen charity, initiative or research project at a hospital of their choice.

Fiona said that she was “surprised” and “excited” when she heard about being nominated, and said it was particularly nice to be recognised outside of her usual peer group - and she has chosen to donate the money to terminal illness support charity Marie Curie, where she works as a nurse and clinical manager.

Before her nursing role at Marie Curie, she moved to Portsmouth and worked at the Queen Alexandra Hospital, but shortly after Fiona joined the charity as a senior nurse, where she has since taken on management responsibility looking after a team of 28 staff members.

She works at a number of the charity sites in Hampshire, including Marie Curie Cancer Care in Eastleigh.

The Marie Curie Day Service in Eastleigh is for patients eligible for fast track palliative care of 12 weeks or less.

Simon Hudson, Director of Hays Healthcare, said: “These awards are a chance to showcase the hugely admirable work of the nursing community in the UK, and to give something back to the healthcare sector. From student nurses to specialist mental health nurses, A&E and paediatric nurses to nursing managers – whatever their nursing specialism may be, we want to highlight how these professionals have shown the utmost dedication to their patients.”

The closing date to choose the Nurse of the Year is Friday August 30.

To vote, visit https://www.hays.co.uk/job/healthcare-jobs/nursing/nurse-of-the-year/.