A WIRRAL nurse has won a prestigious national award from the Florence Nightingale Foundation.

Christinah Makondo, clinical skills manager at Arrowe Park Hospital, earned the honour for delivering an excellent quality improvement project as part of the Windrush Leadership Programme.

She will now be supported in publishing her work in the Journal of Improvement Science, which will be shared with medical professionals across the country.

Christinah, came to England in 1999 from South Africa to purse her career as a nurse. She quickly progressed to working in a managerial role within the NHS Trust.

As a mum of two, Christinah has juggled her busy home life alongside furthering her education, including completing a Master of Arts and Education.

At the recent Florence Nightingale Foundation awards event in London she was presented with the Best Spoken Presentation award.

Christinah said: "I have learnt so much throughout this journey and I can only hope that this is the beginning of greater things to come.

"I was inspired by all the amazing colleagues within the programme and all the speakers that came to share their wisdom and experiences.

"I would like to urge all the nurses and midwives who aspire to be future leaders to apply for the programme."

The Florence Nightingale Foundation pioneers improvement in health care through nursing and midwifery.

Professor Greta Westwood, chief executive officer of Florence Nightingale Foundation said: "Christinah's performance throughout the Windrush Leadership Programme was outstanding and she delivered an excellent quality improvement project as part of the programme.

"She showcased her project 'Introducing aseptic non-touch technique to a large acute hospital' and won the Best Spoken Presentation Award at the celebration."

For more information on the Florence Nightingale Foundation, visit: https://florence-nightingale-foundation.org.uk/