​A nurse from Paisley, Linda Mayberry 54, currently works at the Institute for Neurological Sciences (NS) in Glasgow as a Patient Flow Coordinator. Her role is to minimise stress and concern for anyone who spends a lot of their time in the INS as a patient and a visitor.

Ms Mayberry has been recognised for her continuous hard work and kind nature and is in the running for the Adult Nursing Awards at the Inaugural Royal College of Nursing Scotland (RCN) nurse of the year awards. She expressed how initially she thought it was a “festive wind up”

Linda said, “It was our Christmas night out on the day I heard, and I thought someone was having a joke,” she said. “But when I realised, they were being serious, I was just so touched and honoured.

“To be thought of like this is so lovely – in fact, I got quite emotional.”

Linda was nominated for the award by the lead nurse of Neurosurgery Pamela Philip. Pamela said “Linda is our fantastic patient flow coordinator.

“Her whole focus is on improving a patient’s journey through our unit, and she uses her significant clinical expertise to support sound clinical decisions in patient flow.

“By improving patient flow we can treat more patients.

“Linda’s enthusiasm for continuing to improve our services for our patients is contagious – in fact, she’s the glue that keeps our unit together and working so well.”

As part of Ms Mayberry’s role, she has to deliver heart-breaking news to patients daily, with 60 per cent of those arriving at the INS suffering from serious injuries.

​

Linda said “We want them all to be able to concentrate on their treatment and recovery. We don’t want them to worry unnecessarily so we try to make things as easy as possible for them.

“If the family are happy, the patient is happy and that really helps them.”

​

The shortlist for the Royal College of Nursing Scotland otherwise known as (RCN) has set to be announced in February 2023 however, the ceremony taking place will occur in June at the Grand Gallery in Edinburgh’s National Museum of Scotland.