
An inspirational nurse at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary has been given a special award by the University of Cumbria.
Cherish Otoo received the Spirit of Cumbria prize, which is awarded by the University of Cumbria to students who exemplify its values in being Progressive, Personal and Engaged and are exceptional role models in and outside of the university.
The award will be given to Cherish during her graduation ceremony at Carlisle Cathedral, where she celebrated completing her Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship with the University of Cumbria and University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust.
Related: INTERVIEW: We talk to double award-winning Morecambe nurse Cherish Otoo
Speaking after the ceremony, Cherish said: ‘’I think I’ve been very open and honest about my University experience and working through the pandemic.
‘’I’ve always promoted the good, the bad and the ugly about nursing and studying, and I hope that’s inspired many more like-minded people who thought they couldn’t do (something like this) that they can.
‘’Two years of the course was through the pandemic but when we did finally get back, all together, doing our nursing with the tutors was fantastic.
‘’During the pandemic I was redeployed to intensive care. It was very sad and there was a lot of end of life care there. I remember a gentleman who was a member of the Muslim community, and to ensure his final wishes were met was a real poignant part of my training. That really stuck with me and paved my practice in nursing.
Cherish was one of the first people in the UK to enrol and qualify as a nurse through the University of Cumbria’s Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship programme, when it launched in 2018.