Palliative care nurse of the year

This award aims to recognise a nurse who has made a difference to the palliative care of patients in practice. This may be in the care of terminally ill patients with any diagnosis. Entries may discuss individual case studies. Alternatively, entrants may describe innovations in symptom relief, service developments or changes to the culture within organisations that have resulted in improved care.

Educator of the year

We are interested in hearing about a committed and influential educator who has contributed to the expansion of palliative nursing knowledge through the development of, for example, new educational strategies and materials, learning networks that encourage the growth of skills and knowledge of nurses, patients and families or carers, or the means to assess the outcomes of education. Submissions should outline how, through education, they have made a difference to patients and those close to them.

Development award

This award aims to celebrate the achievements of a team or an individual working in an area of the world where palliative care services are relatively new. Submissions should describe the development of palliative care approaches that have made a difference to patients and those close to them. This may have involved introducing new services, education, or nursing innovations, and is likely to have taken place using limited resources. The work may have involved overcoming barriers and helping people or communities to use their own internal resources.

Non-cancer award

This award aims to draw attention to innovation in management outside of the cancer arena. Entrants should outline the achievement of improvements in the palliative care of patients. The focus will be on nurses caring for patients who are not terminally ill but who may be suffering from symptoms such as pain, breathlessness, agitation, constipation or delirium. For example, nurses working with MS, motor neurone disease and dementia patients may find this of interest and relevance.

Multidisciplinary teamwork award

Good palliative care depends on teamwork between health-care professionals, patients and carers. The aim of this award is to highlight inspirational multidisciplinary working. Entries should show how groups of people have worked together to make a difference to the care of patients and those close to them. They may discuss the difficult process of developing an effective team and of overcoming barriers. Alternatively, the focus may be on systems that facilitate the communication of the information needed for different professions to bring their skills to help patients. Examples of cross-disciplinary learning and support will also be considered.

Service user/carer/volunteer of the year

This award recognizes the invaluable contribution and achievements of a patient, carer or volunteer who has made a significant contribution to improving the lives of others in palliative care. This may result from a personal experience of illness or from caring for or working with a patient in a palliative care phase of illness. Entries should include everyday examples, showing evidence of hard work and dedication towards improving palliative care services for patients and helping to change things for the future.

Lifetime achievement award

This award recognises the contribution made over a number of years by an inspirational and influential individual who has made an outstanding contribution to palliative nursing. Previous winners of this prestigious award are Jo Hockley, Sue Hawkett OBE, Mr Philip Larkin, Dr Mary Vachon, Dr Huda Abu-Saad Huijer, and Sue Dewar.