Our senior information nurse nominated for RCN Patient’s Choice award
Sarah Malik, Senior Information Nurse at Compassion in Dying, has been nominated for the Patient’s Choice Award at the Royal College of Nursing Awards 2022, in recognition of her work supporting people to talk, plan, record their wishes and advocate for their loves ones at the end of life. Sarah is a registered nurse with a background in Haematology, Oncology, hospice care and helpline nursing.
Sarah is delighted to be nominated by several people she has supported via Compassion in Dying’s free, specialist Information Line, including Elizabeth Pepper. Over several months, Sarah supported Elizabeth and her husband Alan to discuss and record his wishes for the end of his life, later empowering Elizabeth to advocate for Alan to ensure his wishes were respected as he died. Sarah has since supported Elizabeth to consider and record her own wishes for her future care and treatment, and Elizabeth now regularly encourages her family and friends to do the same. She described Sarah as a “life-changer” and nominated her with “all my heart”.
Voting for the Royal College of Nursing Awards opens on Monday 4 July and closes on Friday 29 July. The winner will be announced at the RCN Nursing Awards 2022, taking place on Thursday 6 October at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel in London. A voting link will be shared in due course.
Elizabeth Pepper said:
“Without Sarah’s compassion, empathy, support, skill, knowledge and understanding, neither my husband nor I would have begun to plan for the end of his life.
“When it came to drawing up my husband’s living will to stipulate that he didn’t want any life-prolonging treatment or to be admitted into hospital, Sarah so gently and empathetically reassured and guided us both through the process. She really was a life-changer!
“When my husband’s doctor tried to push for him to have more active treatment and to be admitted into hospital against his wishes, I felt empowered to push back thanks to the confidence Sarah’s support gave me. In a way, she saved his death!
“Sarah is an intelligent, compassionate and capable nurse, I am so grateful for the work she does. I am delighted she has been given this nomination, which she is so worthy of.”
Sarah Malik, Senior Information Nurse at Compassion in Dying, said:
“I’m honoured to be shortlisted for what I feel is the highest accolade; the Patient Choice award. I’m so grateful to Elizabeth and the others who nominated me who feel that I have helped them.
“It’s so important to me that as clinicians we don’t lose sight of who we’re supporting and who we turn up for every day.
“I work within an organisation that is driven by what people tell us they want and need at the end of life. I strive to enable people to remain in control of decision-making so that their wishes are honoured, even if they lose the ability to express what matters most to them. For this work to be recognised brings me enormous pride.”
Usha Grieve, Director of Partnerships and Services at Compassion in Dying, said:
“Sarah is so deserving of this award and we are delighted that her compassion and expertise has been recognised. The calm, empathetic and non-judgmental support she provides makes such a difference for people – empowering them to make informed decisions and advocate for their loved ones, often in hugely distressing situations. This is at the heart of Compassion in Dying’s work, enabling people to be in control of their own end-of-life decisions, because there is no better person to make them.”
***ENDS***
For more information, interviews with or comment from Sarah, Elizabeth or Compassion in Dying spokespeople, please contact Molly Pike, Media & Campaigns Officer on 07929731181 or email Molly.Pike@CompassioninDying.org.uk
Notes to editor
About Compassion in Dying
We can help you prepare for the end of life. How to talk about it, plan for it, and record your wishes.
We help people through our free information line, publications and resources, and through our work with diverse communities. We specialise in supporting people to make Advance Decisions (‘Living Wills’) and to talk about their goals and priorities when living with a life-changing illness. Our free MyDecisions.org.uk website helps people to record their wishes for care in a legally binding way.
Have any questions? Talk to us.
0800 999 2434