A BARNSLEY hospital nurse who has worked on the frontline during the coronavirus pandemic has been hailed a ‘hospital hero’ for boosting the morale of patients across her ward.

Dawn Jones, from Cudworth, has been nominated for a Proud of Barnsley award after patients felt she went above and beyond the duty of care.

The 44-year-old has been working 13 hour shifts, seven days a week during the pandemic to cope with the demands of the virus.

Dawn admits that even though times were difficult, the love of her job and helping other people pushed her through the gruelling shifts.

She said: “When the virus reached its peak, it was incredibly difficult to cope mentally and it was a great strain on us at the hospital.

“However I never feared contracting the virus myself, I trusted our amazing PPE and staff.

“The most important thing for us was to power through and help as many people as we could.

“I think the most difficult part was that patients weren’t able to see loved ones. This was done to ensure the safety of everyone.

“So I wanted to make sure I could be there and become a part of the family whilst they were with us, and that’s the most important thing.”

Dawn credits the efforts of her team on her ward for helping pull her through the tough times.

“The staff from all departments at Barnsley Hospital have been incredible. We really are a huge family.

“When things got challenging, we would pull together and pull each other up. I love coming into work everyday to be with my hospital family.

“I think a big part of the job is to try and boost people’s spirits. I wanted to make sure that I left each patient with a smile on their face.

“We’re all in this together and it was that camaraderie amongst our staff that got us through the difficult times.”

Dawn’s positive spirit has landed her a nomination in the Hospital Hero category at this year’s Proud of Barnsley awards.

She added: “It’s very exciting to be nominated but also incredibly surprising.

“Like all people at Barnsley Hospital, we’re coming in to do our job and help save lives so I don’t feel particularly worthy.

“This nomination for everybody at the hospital who has worked tirelessly during the pandemic.”