A Trinity Hospice nurse who recently became one of the first palliative care nurses in the country to qualify as a Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner, has now been selected to receive a prestigious national award recognising her outstanding achievement.

Megan Echarri-Berry, from Trinity’s Community Palliative Care Team, has received a Dame Cecily Saunders Award from the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing (QICN), celebrating outstanding achievement among nursing students undertaking palliative and end-of-life care Specialist Practitioner Qualification programmes.

Each year, the QICN’s Directors select one award recipient to receive their certificate in person at its Annual Awards Ceremony, and this year Megan has been chosen for the honour. She will attend the ceremony in November.

The recognition follows an already remarkable year for Megan, who completed her Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner qualification with distinction.
Megan, 30, has worked in Trinity’s Community Palliative Care Team for two years, following almost a year in its Hospice at Home Team.

Her qualification, which is at Master’s degree level, has equipped her with advanced clinical skills to enhance the care and support Trinity provides to patients and families in their own homes. It also enables Megan to further support colleagues in areas including prescribing and advanced clinical decision-making, strengthening specialist skills across the hospice.

Megan said: “I was already incredibly proud to have completed my qualification with distinction, so to then find out I had received a Dame Cecily Saunders Award was such a wonderful surprise.

“To be chosen to receive my certificate in person at the Annual Awards Ceremony makes it even more special. I’m really looking forward to attending in November and representing Trinity, our Community Palliative Care Team and the patients and families we support.”

Anita Dodd, Assistant Director of Clinical Services at Trinity Hospice, said: “We were incredibly proud of Megan when she completed this challenging qualification with distinction, and this national recognition makes her achievement even more special.

“Megan has shown tremendous commitment to developing her knowledge and skills for the benefit of our patients and families, and it is wonderful to see that dedication recognised in this way.

“Investing in the development of our people is an important part of ensuring we continue to provide the highest possible standard of specialist palliative care. Megan’s achievement not

only strengthens her own practice, but brings additional knowledge, skills and expertise to colleagues and our wider clinical services. We are absolutely delighted for her.”

Director of Clinical Services, Dave Kay, added: “Megan’s achievement is something we can all be incredibly proud of. It is a wonderful recognition of her individual commitment and ability, but it also demonstrates why investing in the development of our people is so important.

“By supporting colleagues to develop their knowledge, skills and expertise, we are strengthening our services and ensuring we can continue to respond to the changing needs of our community. Ultimately, that investment translates into even better, more specialist care for the patients and families who rely on us.

“To see Megan’s hard work recognised nationally with such a prestigious award is fantastic, and she will be a brilliant representative of Trinity when she receives it in November.”

Megan will receive her Dame Cecily Saunders Award in person at the QICN Annual Awards Ceremony in November.