Dedicated hospital worker in running for Sunderland Echo Health award

Sunderland Royal Hospital dialysis assistant Kim Joyce, nominated for Sunderland Echo Health Awards.

They love her so much, they have put the dialysis assistant in the running for a Sunderland Echo Health award.

And when she heard of the news, she admitted: “I’m over the moon.”

Kim is a dialysis assistant in the renal unit at the Royal Hospital in Sunderland and has been in the role for three years.

That’s out of nine years of work within the health service and was previously healthcare assistant.

Healthcare was always her dream and achieved it after going on a work-based training programme when she left school.

“I love helping my patients,” she said. “This is pretty much what I have always wanted to do.

“It is all about interacting with them.”

Around 70 patients a day are dealt with from the morning to the twilight shift and Kim explained her role.

“I get the patient and I check them in. I weigh them and do their blood pressure.”

She makes sure the dialysis procedure is fine for them and what fluids need to be taken, as well as checking the dialysis machine.

It’s a detailed job and one which Kim loves. And that passion for her work shows in her interaction with patients.

One nominated her for an award and said: “She is hard working, always happy. She always puts a smile on my face while doing dialysis.”

The Sunderland Echo Health Awards aim is to make this year’s competition bigger and better than ever before.

But to do that, we need your nominations in the categories listed below.

The competition is being held in association with City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, with NHS Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group as partner sponsors and Olivers Dental Studio as category sponsors.

The very best contenders will make it to our grand finals, to be held at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland on April 14. Before then, you can nominate up to the deadline of March 31.

So make sure our unsung heroes get the limelight they deserve.

To nominate, either complete the form on this page or visit the website at www.jpne-events.co.uk.