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Celebrating nursing brilliance

20 October 2019

 

Going above and beyond for her colleagues and students has led to recognition for a former Teesside University learning disability nurse.

Dr Marie Gressmann, with Pam Wheeler
Dr Marie Gressmann, with Pam Wheeler

Dr Marie Gressmann, who this year moved on from her University role as Senior Lecturer in Learning Disabilities Nursing, has won a Cavell Star Award.

Nursing charity Cavell Nurses’ Trust launched the Cavell Star Awards last year, with nominations sought from nursing teams across the UK to recognise that special team-mate who has shown exceptional care for either their colleagues or their patients and patients’ families.

Dr Gressmann left school with few qualifications and initially found work in a factory before turning her hand to hairdressing. She also volunteered her time working with people with learning disabilities. She said: ‘I’ve always been a people-person. When I was hairdressing people would confide in me and bare their souls, but I enjoyed being there for them.’

This led her to look for a new career where she would be able to help people and giving something back to her community.

Dr Gressmann said: ‘I spoke to nurses working with people with learning disabilities and I knew straight away that this is what I should be doing.’

She qualified as a learning disability nurse in 1980 and quickly found she had flair for supporting other nursing staff. Her role gradually changed and Dr Gressmann became a part-time lecturer, while still practicing as a nurse.

This led her to become more interested in education and decided to study for her degree and postgraduate qualifications. Dr Gressmann went on to complete her doctorate on the role of care within families of people with learning disabilities.

She recently retired from her lecturing role. Her colleague and fellow former senior lecturer Pamela Wheeler nominated Marie for a Cavell Star Award for going above and beyond for her colleagues and students.

My nursing team have been a huge part of my life

Dr Marie Gressmann

Pam, who has also since left her role as Senior Lecturer in Learning Disabilities Nursing, said: ‘Marie has been a fabulous inspiration and role model for many nurses, with her amazing humility and commitment to the best quality of care for families and people with a learning disability. She has advocated on behalf of some of the most vulnerable people in our society and has done so with great empathy and challenged us to all do the best that we possibly can.’

Dr Gressmann added: ‘My nursing team are like a family, a work family. We supported each other through thick and thin and there was always a reservoir of kindness and good will there. My nursing team have been a huge part of my life.'

She added: 'I spent 22 years working as a learning disability nurse in many different capacities, before coming to the University in 1999, so it has been over 40 years and I still feel as passionate today about our field of nursing.

'It has been a fulfilling, happy career and I have some wonderful memories. It is lovely to see the next generation of learning disability nurses coming through who are committed to making things better in the future.'

John Orchard, Chief Executive at Cavell Nurses’ Trust, said: ‘Cavell Nurses’ Trust is here for nurses when they’re in a crisis, so we are really excited that the Cavell Star Awards are proving so successful at boosting morale for nursing teams working extremely hard in very challenging situations.’


 
 
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