"We will always remember Rob and his kindness” - Rob Bradley, Patient Hero Award
Charge Nurse, Rob Bradley, has won our March 2021 Patient Hero Award for providing exceptional care to a patient with Autism & Sensory Processing Disorder.
The dedicated nurse who works at Royal Derby Hospital was presented with the UHDB Patient Hero Award earlier last week after being nominated by Derbyshire Mum, Chloe.
Chloe visited the Royal Derby Hospital with her daughter Rose in February when she needed an MRI Scan under General Anaesthetic. Rob was their first point of contact and took it upon himself to make Rose’s stay in hospital as comfortable and positive as possible.
Chloe said: “Rose is diagnosed with Autism and a Sensory Processing Disorder which makes her very different to manage compared to other patients. Things take longer, her anxiety is high, strong smells, bright lights, loud noises can all leave her feeling distressed. Interaction from strangers is difficult, and she needs a lot of specialised care and consideration.
Rob recognised Rose’s condition immediately and identified the processes that needed adapting for Rose's visit to hospital. Rob sent the family a 'Traffic Light System' in the post, which gave them the opportunity to list all of the things really important to Rose, alongside things she disliked and liked.
Chloe said: “If there was an observation that needed to be taken and Rose began to get distressed, Rob would remove himself away from the situation and return with distractions. The way in which he communicated with Rose was fantastic. He had clearly put a lot of effort into learning how best to work with children of Rose's nature, and it's not often we experience that.
“Overall, Rob’s attentiveness reduced mine and Rose's anxiety and anguish around hospital visits. I felt humbled to finally meet someone that really cared about my daughter and her needs. He made me feel emotional, in a good sense, as it reminded me that people like Rob really do still exist in the medical profession. People that aren't just doing their job, but are going above and beyond to make the experience as positive as possible.”
When Rob received his award, he said: “I’m completely speechless, but so honoured. I am so lucky to work with such a fantastic team here on Sunflower Ward – we all work well together to help provide exceptional care for our patients.”
Upon finding out that her nomination had won Rob the UHDB Patient Hero award, Chloe said: “Rob truly deserves the recognition. We spoke about our experience with Rob publicly on our blog. So many other families came forward and spoke about how they too had had an incredible experience at Royal Derby Hospital.
“Rob made such a positive impact on Rose’s hospital experience. I hope this award brings a smile to Rob’s face. We will always remember Rob and his kindness.”
