RCN award win for King’s College Hospital staff

06 October 2022 - Two staff members at the Trust have won Royal College of Nursing London region’s Rising Star awards

Carlito Adan and Rashmi Thannikkal are among the winners of the 2022 RCN London region’s Rising Star awards. The Rising Star Awards are part of RCN London’s Black History month celebrations, and this year’s theme focuses on anti-racism: wellbeing and justice.

Senior Research Nurse Carlito Adan, has worked at King’s College Hospital for 17 years. He created and implemented an initiative called ‘Check on Colleagues,’ and revived a buddy strategy to make sure that his team feel supported, heard and empowered.

Carl said: “I feel honoured to be recognised by the RCN London, and to be awarded with the Rising Star Award for the Category Promotion of Wellbeing. Data shows that healthcare professionals have the highest burnout rate of all the professions, and nurses came on top of that list. Hence, I always wanted my colleagues to feel supported, especially in situations that matter. Making sure that support is available at any time and concerns are raised and actioned in a timely manner, can make all the difference to our working lives.”

Consultant Physiotherapist Renal and Exercise Rehabilitation, Sharlene Greenwood, added: “I was delighted to hear that Carl had won the RCN rising star award. Carl is an exceptional nurse and researcher who always works to provide the very best patient care. Carl is a valuable member of our research team, always supporting other team members and striving to introduce new ways of working. Carl is a principal investigator on research studies and is a great advocate for nurse-led research within the NHS.”

Rashmi Thannikkal, Infection Prevention and Control Nurse at the Trust, was awarded her RCN Rising Star award for dedication to her role, inspirational teamwork and for championing equality. She joined Team King’s in 2017.

Rashmi said: “I’m so grateful for this award and the encouragement and recognition it brings. I feel blessed, and I really value and respect this honour. This achievement is a lifetime inspiration for me and I will always cherish this award.”

Rachael Ben Salem, Lead Infection Prevention & Control Nurse, commented: “We congratulate Rashmi for all her achievements to date and that she has been named as one of the RCN London region’s Rising Stars of 2022.

“Since joining the King’s Infection Prevention and Control team, Rashmi’s hard work and passion have shone forth and she remains an instrumental part of the team in delivering the infection control programme and helping to keep our patients and staff safe. Congratulations on this amazing achievement, Rashmi!”