Presentation of the inaugural EAUN Ronny Pieters Award
The Barcelona congress of the EAUN saw the launch of the new EAUN Ronny Pieters Award. In what was perhaps an unusual move for such awards, the EAUN Board unanimously took the decision to present the inaugural award to no-one less than Mr. Ronny Pieters, from Ghent, Belgium, himself!
The reasons for presenting the award firstly to Ronny are simple. Over the last two decades Ronny has served as a role model for others to emulate, through his unshakable belief in the importance of the role of the nurse in ensuring high quality care for people with urological disorders. Providing both vision and commitment, the example of Ronny’s contribution to Urology Nursing acts as a beacon for others to follow, so that together we may increase our knowledge, influence and impact upon those who need us most – our patients.
Ronny demonstrates the best of who we are as urology nurses with his unfailing respect for the patient, his colleagues and the art and science that informs and guides our practice. The EAUN Ronny Pieters Medal is a discretionary award established to recognise a person who, in the estimation of the EAUN Board, has provided an outstanding and enduring contribution to the development of urological nursing in Europe.
The EAUN Ronny Pieters award statue was created to echo the principles of the award itself and symbolises just how much people can achieve when they aim high in unison with others, with the world of patient-care at our core, as outlined in the four principles for nomination, outlined below:
Nominees for this award:
- Shall normally be a member of the EAUN
- Must, in the estimation of the EAUN Board, have provided a consistent and outstanding record of commitment and contribution to the development of urological nursing. This contribution can be within the European continent as a whole, or it can be a recognition of contribution provided in a particular country.
- Can emanate from all areas of urology nursing practice including, but not limited to, direct patient care, research, practice development, administration or academia.
- Can be nominated by the EAUN Board or by any full-member of the EAUN [The final decision on whether and who the recipient is in any given year lies solely with the EAUN Board].
Ronny has been instrumental not only to the initiation and the development of the EAUN itself and to the annual congress meeting, but also over the past 20 years he has never tired of enthusiastically and generously supporting the organisation. Every year Ronny provides a calming and wise presence at the annual meeting while at the same time leading a national society for urology nurses in Belgium and giving lectures throughout the country.
Unfortunately, Ronny was admitted to hospital shortly before the EAUN Meeting in Barcelona started and could not attend in person. However, his urology colleagues were determined that they would send him not only their best wishes for a speedy recovery, but also they wished to mark his award as a family of colleagues and so the above photograph was taken and sent to him the same day. Ronny was very honoured and touched when he heard he had won the award, which he received a few days later, and which he was rightly proud to take home.
Nominations for the Ronny Pieters Award 2020 will open on 1 July and further information can be accessed through the EAUN website.
Jerome Marley, EAUN Board Member and Lecturer in Nursing, Ulster University, Newtonabbey, Ireland, jt.marley@ulster.ac.uk