HELPING TO EASE THE PAIN Lynne Pearce talks to a nurse of the year who made a huge difference to multiple sclerosis patients
widespread interest from organisations, including the Multiple Sclerosis Society. ‘They were pleased because my winning raised the profile of MS and pain,’ she says. Members of the public got in touch with her too. ‘For them it felt like the painful aspects of MS had largely been ignored before, but now it was being raised on a much broader scale.’
The painful aspects of multiple sclerosis were highlighted by Amanda Howarth’s win
can help MS patients find coping strategies that help them live with their pain on a day-to-day basis.’ The options range from medication, physiotherapy and TENS machines to complementary remedies such as aromatherapy. At the nurse awards ceremony in London, Dr Howarth picked up the medical nursing award before being named overall winner. She was presented with her award by the then health secretary, Alan Milburn. ‘He used the occasion to make some big announcements about health care. As a result, I was pictured in the national papers alongside him, which was really bizarre!’ As nurse of the year Dr Howarth attracted
SUMMARY
It was the combination of running a unique pain management service and undertaking extensive research that led to Amanda Howarth winning Nursing Standard’s 2001 nurse of the year. ‘My published research is there forever in the body of literature,’ says Dr Howarth. ‘As nurses, it is important to back up what we are doing with research and evidence.’ When she was working as a clinical nurse specialist in pain management at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, Dr Howarth developed and led a trailblazing new service for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) to help them manage painful symptoms. Her research demonstrated that almost three-quarters of MS patients attending the hospital’s special clinic experienced some form of pain, but often this had been overlooked. At a weekly clinic she discussed patients’ needs in depth. ‘A big part of the nurse’s role is having the time to spend with patients – that is what they want,’ she says. ‘Pain services
JOHN HOULIHAN
Students and patients
Amanda Howarth won nurse of the year in 2001 for her trailblazing work helping patients with multiple sclerosis to manage painful symptoms. Her award raised the profile of the disease and its associated pain and this was important to patients nationwide. Author Lynne Pearce is a freelance journalist
Not long after winning nurse of the year, Dr Howarth moved to London to work in the pain service at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. She says, ‘The job had been in the pipeline, but I think they were pleased that I had won the award.’ After starting a family, she returned to Sheffield and took up a post at the city’s university. She completed her doctorate in 2006. Today Dr Howarth is a senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University’s faculty of health and wellbeing. Does she miss the clinical aspects of nursing? ‘Students have replaced the patients,’ she says. ‘I have filled the gap by having a caring role with them. Of course I also see the students working with patients when they are on placement.’ She is still very proud of her nurse of the year title. ‘I still think about winning fondly. It was an exciting and fun time in my career, and the award happened in the middle of all of that. ‘I do not think winning changed me, but I am sure it made a difference within the MS community. For this group of patients, it was very important’ NS Find out how to enter the 2014 Nursing Standard nurse awards, or nominate a colleague, at www.nurseawards.co.uk The deadline for entries has been extended to January 3
NURSING november 27 other :: voluses 28 no 13 :: permission. 2013 23 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 18, 2015. For personal use only. No without Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
widespread interest from organisations, including the Multiple Sclerosis Society. ‘They were pleased because my winning raised the profile of MS and pain,’ she says. Members of the public got in touch with her too. ‘For them it felt like the painful aspects of MS had largely been ignored before, but now it was being raised on a much broader scale.’
The painful aspects of multiple sclerosis were highlighted by Amanda Howarth’s win
can help MS patients find coping strategies that help them live with their pain on a day-to-day basis.’ The options range from medication, physiotherapy and TENS machines to complementary remedies such as aromatherapy. At the nurse awards ceremony in London, Dr Howarth picked up the medical nursing award before being named overall winner. She was presented with her award by the then health secretary, Alan Milburn. ‘He used the occasion to make some big announcements about health care. As a result, I was pictured in the national papers alongside him, which was really bizarre!’ As nurse of the year Dr Howarth attracted
SUMMARY
It was the combination of running a unique pain management service and undertaking extensive research that led to Amanda Howarth winning Nursing Standard’s 2001 nurse of the year. ‘My published research is there forever in the body of literature,’ says Dr Howarth. ‘As nurses, it is important to back up what we are doing with research and evidence.’ When she was working as a clinical nurse specialist in pain management at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, Dr Howarth developed and led a trailblazing new service for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) to help them manage painful symptoms. Her research demonstrated that almost three-quarters of MS patients attending the hospital’s special clinic experienced some form of pain, but often this had been overlooked. At a weekly clinic she discussed patients’ needs in depth. ‘A big part of the nurse’s role is having the time to spend with patients – that is what they want,’ she says. ‘Pain services
JOHN HOULIHAN
Students and patients
Amanda Howarth won nurse of the year in 2001 for her trailblazing work helping patients with multiple sclerosis to manage painful symptoms. Her award raised the profile of the disease and its associated pain and this was important to patients nationwide. Author Lynne Pearce is a freelance journalist
Not long after winning nurse of the year, Dr Howarth moved to London to work in the pain service at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. She says, ‘The job had been in the pipeline, but I think they were pleased that I had won the award.’ After starting a family, she returned to Sheffield and took up a post at the city’s university. She completed her doctorate in 2006. Today Dr Howarth is a senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University’s faculty of health and wellbeing. Does she miss the clinical aspects of nursing? ‘Students have replaced the patients,’ she says. ‘I have filled the gap by having a caring role with them. Of course I also see the students working with patients when they are on placement.’ She is still very proud of her nurse of the year title. ‘I still think about winning fondly. It was an exciting and fun time in my career, and the award happened in the middle of all of that. ‘I do not think winning changed me, but I am sure it made a difference within the MS community. For this group of patients, it was very important’ NS Find out how to enter the 2014 Nursing Standard nurse awards, or nominate a colleague, at www.nurseawards.co.uk The deadline for entries has been extended to January 3
NURSING november 27 other :: voluses 28 no 13 :: permission. 2013 23 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 18, 2015. For personal use only. No without Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
