Lead clinical educator Joanne Iceton, who works in the cardiothoracic critical care unit (CICU) at The James Cook University Hospital, scooped the prestigious Cavell STAR Award – for being an inspirational leader to staff and providing high-quality nursing care to patients.
Cavell STAR Awards are national awards given to nurses, midwives, nursing associates and healthcare assistants who show exceptional care to either their colleagues or their patients and patients’ families.
Joanne, who is fondly called Jo by staff members, said: “I am overwhelmed to have been presented with a Cavell Star Award for supporting colleagues in practice.”
“Always aspired to be a nurse”
Since childhood, Joanne has aspired to become a nurse and to serve her community. But at the age of 15, the Guisborough resident was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, a condition where the kidneys are damaged and cannot filter blood.
Following the diagnosis, Joanne suffered a deteriorating condition throughout the years but she did not let this overshadow her dreams to work in the NHS.
Jo’s professional curiosity motivated her to shift to a new role as a critical care assistant in 2006, where she provided support to registered nurses and other healthcare professionals in caring for critically ill patients in the intensive care unit.
The culmination of these experiences and love for her profession motivated her to become a nurse.
Armed with strong determination, she completed her advanced nursing diploma in 2013 while battling a worsening health condition.
She then went a step ahead and passed her nursing degree with first-class honours in 2015. This was remarkable for Jo as she achieved this whilst also being treated for her condition and later underwent a kidney transplant in 2016.
“Leading a transformational change in her unit”
She was appointed as a lead clinical educator in 2022, and ever since, she has brought a transformational change in the cardiothoracic critical care unit.
Throughout recent years, Jo has been applauded for her leadership skills and her ability to support new members of the team as well as student nurses and paramedics.
This includes helping nurses to grow personally and professionally while improving staff retention in her unit. This has, in turn, allowed the service to continue providing high-quality and safe care to patients.
More recently, Jo has developed, managed and supported her own team of educators. Last year, she also returned to university to study teaching and was awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Education.
She believes critical care is high-tech and fast-paced, where she assists and drives change every day. She is currently contributing to the implementation of digital programmes to improve patient care.
Jo added: “The education of our critical care staff is paramount to ensure our critically ill patients are provided with the highest standards of care during their stay.
“Having worked on CICU for the past 22 years, I have been significantly able to personally and professionally develop my career despite the hurdles along the way. It is an absolute pleasure and honour to help others to do the same and reach their full potential.
“Supporting and encouraging others to develop to their full potential is an absolute privilege, and I would like to dedicate this award to all the members of my multi-disciplinary team, whom I have the honour to work alongside every day, both past and present.”
Deputy chief nurse (operational) Amy Oxley said: “We are really pleased to see Jo’s professional growth and truly inspiring to learn how she worked so hard to become a nurse whilst battling a chronic kidney disease.
She truly deserves this award and I hope her story serves as an inspiration to all those individuals who want to work as nurses in the NHS – just like Jo!”