I was surprised and extremely honoured to be shortlisted for this award – Life Lines has been an extreme challenge but exceptionally rewarding experience knowing ICU patients and their families are benefiting from our virtual visiting solution in these difficult times.
Louise Rose, Professor of Critical Care Nursing
08 September 2020
Staff and alumni shortlisted for Nursing Times Awards 2020
The awards recognise those making nursing an innovative, patient-focused and inclusive profession.
Staff and former students have made the shortlist of nominees for the Nursing Times Awards and the Student Nursing Times Awards 2020. This annual occasion recognises those in the profession making nursing innovative, patient-focused and inclusive.
Florence Nightingale Nurse of the Year
Louise Rose, Professor of Critical Care Nursing and alumna Ruth Oshikanlu have been shortlisted for nurse of the year. Louise is being recognised for her work in 2020 as co-lead of Life Lines, a UK-wide philanthropic project which delivered 4G-enabled tablets to intensive care units, enabling virtual visiting for families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ruth, who studied nursing at King’s between 1993-1996 is being recognised this year for her work as a life and business coach through GoalMind, the company she established in 2010.
Emergency and Critical Care
Professor Rose was also shortlisted for the Emergency and Critical Care Award along with the rest of the Life Lines team. Professor Rose and Dr Joel Meyer developed Life Lines from an idea to a UK-wide philanthropic initiative in just four weeks, with the support of King’s Health Partners (which the university is part of). Since its launch, the project has been scaled up rapidly to support hundreds of families who are unable to visit loved ones in intensive care units due to restrictions put in place through this pandemic.
By June 2020, the project had distributed more than 1,100 devices to 174 NHS organisations, spanning from Cornwall to the Orkney Islands and a total of 27,000 calls had been made through Life Lines devices, accumulating a call time of nearly 200,000 minutes. The rapid development of the Life Lines project would not have been possible without generous donations from the public, major philanthropy and technology partners. Over £2 million has been raised.
This [Life Lines] has proved invaluable at this time and allowed families to keep in touch with their loved ones when they were not able to visit them.
Intensive Care Unit Medical Lead
Student Nurse of the Year: Adult
Sylvester Odame-Amoabeng has been shortlisted for the Student Nurse of the Year: Adult. Sylvester completed his pre-registration Adult Nursing BSc this summer, has since registered with the Nursing & Midwifery Council and has just started in his first role as a qualified nurse.
Like many other final year nursing and midwifery students across the UK, Sylvester opted-in to work in the NHS during the height of COVID-19 and spent the last months of his studies working on the frontline of the healthcare emergency while completing final theoretical work.
It came as a big surprise to me, but I was delighted to be shortlisted. I have had the opportunity to learn from some brilliant minds and receive support during my three-year degree at King's. This in addition to the unique elective clinical placement in Australia and participation in the KCL excellence in teaching conference 2019 contributed in part, to me making it on to the final shortlist. And for that, I am grateful. However, even though only my name appears on the list, I believe it is an honour for more than just me. First, it is to celebrate student nurses for their commitment and hearts of service, as well as recognise the valiant efforts of members of staff who are in charge of the formation. We all ought to be proud of our efforts.
Sylvester Odame-Amoabeng, King's Alumnus and newly qualified nurse
The winners of the Student Nursing Times Awards will be announced at an online ceremony on 27 October, with the Nursing Times Awards online ceremony taking place the following month on 18 November.
Find out more about Life Lines
In this video, Professor Louise Rose talks to Professor Anne Marie Rafferty about the Life Lines project. Visit the Life Lines website.
In this story
Head of Division of Digital Health and Applied Technology Assessment and Professor of Nursing