One of our Renal Access Nurse Specialists at Southmead Hospital has been awarded Renal Nurse of the Year in the 2022 British Journal of Nursing awards.
Wilfredo Manuel has worked in our renal unit for 19 years and was involved in setting up a nurse-led service for inserting and managing central lines in 2006, which Southmead was the first hospital in the South West to offer.
The service meant redesigning the model of care so that specialist nurses are now trained to insert central lines for treatment, which has helped reduce patient wait times, improve infection control, and has provided more training to renal staff.
The success of this service led to Wilfredo winning the British Journal of Nursing Intravenous Therapy Nurse of the Year award in 2014 and him being named runner up in the Southwest NHS Leadership Recognition awards in 2013.
More recently, Wilfredo is a member of our BAME staff group and an active supporter of our blood and organ donation campaigns in underrepresented BAME communities. He is also a passionate teacher and mentor for healthcare staff and junior medics in our renal unit.
After being shortlisted for this year’s Renal Nurse of the Year award, Wilfredo said he was “over the moon to be recognised both locally and nationally.”
Wilfredo attended the awards ceremony on Friday 25 March in London where he was announced as the winner. Following his win, Wilfredo said, “I am humbled, honoured and immensely grateful to receive the award.”
He continued “Being shortlisted was already a great achievement and winning is an added bonus.”