Swansea nurse recognised as ‘shining star’ by staff and patients

A senior nurse from Swansea Bay University Health Board has been recognised as an inspiring example to others, after being nominated for an award by both her colleagues and patients.

Frankie Thompson is the lead nurse within vascular access and outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) services in Morriston Hospital.

She has been presented with a Cavell Star, given to nurses, midwives, nursing associates and healthcare assistants who show exceptional care to their colleagues, patients, or patients’ families.

“Frankie embodies the speciality of vascular access”

Cassie-Jo Layzell

Run by Cavell – formerly known as the Cavell Nurses’ Trust – the star awards are given following a nomination by colleagues that is supported by the charity’s panel of judges.

Ms Thompson has been credited for her dedication to service improvement, delivery of patient care and excellence as a manager and mentor.

Her team oversees the delivery of intravenous antimicrobials to patients so they can be discharged to receive their treatment at home.

As well as leading the team, her role involves inserting and monitoring vascular access devices for repeated or long-term access to the bloodstream.

Ms Thompson’s colleague Cassie-Jo Layzell, senior vascular access nurse, put her name forward for the accolade.

She said: “Frankie does a huge amount for our team. People see us doing the line insertion element on the wards, but they don’t see the effort that goes on behind the scenes as well.

“From a managerial point of view, Frankie supports the whole team. There are three of us and she is the rock of our team,” she said. “Frankie embodies the speciality of vascular access.”

While her managerial skills have been praised by her team, Ms Thompson’s exceptional care towards her patients has also been noticed by them, the health board highlighted.

“Frankie is phenomenal at treating every patient as the individual that they are and very much tailoring their care to what they need at that time,” said Ms Layzell.

“It can be anything from somebody who is very eager to go home, so it could be her joining them in their excitement,” she said.

“But it could also be the other end of the spectrum with a patient who is scared of the line insertion, so it would be calming them down and reassuring them,” said Ms Layzell.

“Frankie is very good at judging and assessing people almost at a moment’s notice to be able to change her manner. She is really good at adapting to give them that tailored experience.”

One patient who was cared for by Ms Thompson and her team is John Hislop, a 74-year-old from Neath, who needed to have a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line inserted.

“From the moment I stepped through the door there was an atmosphere that put me at ease,” he said. “It was a very happy camp.

“When they were explaining what they were going to do, they did so in a way I could understand,” he said. “The amazing professionalism and their bedside manner was top. The service was first class.”

Speaking of receiving her award, Ms Thompson highlighted that it was the result of a team effort and said she “was lost for words”.

“I love what I do and I’m very passionate about it. I can’t do it without my amazing team, it’s not just me, it’s everybody,” she said.

“They are what keep me coming into work and what keeps me going because they have the same dedication and passion for this field, and it makes such a difference to the patients.

She added: “It doesn’t matter that I wear a badge with ‘lead’ on it, I am there with them and wouldn’t ask them to do anything I wouldn’t do myself.

“I value my team so for this award to come back the other way to me, it rendered me quite speechless,” she said. “We support each other in any way that we can.”