Mental health nurse collects national honour

A mental health nurse and ex-veteran from Leasingham in Lincolnshire has won Mental Health Nurse of the Year at the national British Journal of Nursing Awards.

Lyndsay Khan, team manager for Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s (LPFT) Veterans’ Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (TILS), won the honour at the ceremony, held recently online.

Lyndsay has been a mental health nurse for more than 20 years, serving 14 years in Princess Mary’s Royal Air Force Nursing Service before joining LPFT.

Since joining LPFT, she has delivered care to ex-service personnel and their families, drawing on her own experience as a veteran transitioning back into the community.

She has led on several projects to ensure that veterans experiencing mental ill health access vital support. She has also contributed to charitable work which supports the armed forces community, including a sponsored ‘March in March’ event in Lincoln which she organised earlier this year.

She said it felt ‘unbelievable but utterly amazing’ to win the award.

She added: “I feel very lucky to work for such an amazing trust; the support and inspirational leadership I have received from my manager, Paula Jelly, since I left the RAF has been incredible and I’m so grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given.

“I am very proud of my team, who are all extremely passionate about their work, and equally deserving of this accolade. I feel so honoured to serve the veteran community and give back to those who have given so selflessly to their country.”

It was Paula, regional lead veterans services, who nominated Lyndsay for the award.

She said: “I am absolutely delighted for Lyndsay on her fantastic achievement. Lyndsay is a role model to others, and her passion and enthusiasm is contagious.”