Leadership starts from the heart
The Florence Nightingale Foundation is delighted to honour two exceptional nurses from across our member organisations with the international DAISY Award – a global recognition of nurses and midwives who lead with compassion, courage, and integrity.
Each of our Chief Nurse members, or their delegates, were invited to put forward a nurse or midwife who demonstrates excellent leadership behaviours that improve patient care and inspire their teams. From an impressive group of nominees, our panel selected two honourees whose leadership truly embodies trust, compassion and mutual respect:
- Siziwe Turner, Quality Matron, Isle of Wight NHS Trust
- Jo Mahoney, National Lead for Pre-operative Assessment Service, Circle Health Group
Excellent nursing leaders
Since joining the Trust in 2021, Siziwe has embedded the Quality Assurance Accreditation Scheme (QAAS) to empower and engage staff to improve standards and quality of care. Her commitment to excellence has seen 33 areas now holding Gold accreditation and 13 striving towards Platinum, a remarkable achievement that speaks volumes about her dedication, expertise, and ability to inspire change.
Isle of Wight NHS Trust’s Nurse Director, Laura Neal, who nominated Siziwe for the award said: “I am immensely proud of Siziwe. Her leadership is the perfect blend of compassion and accountability—she demonstrates that kindness and high standards can, and must, coexist in great care. Under her guidance, the QAAS programme has not only been embedded but has flourished, driving sustainable improvement across every service. She is deeply respected for her professionalism, her humility, and her ability to inspire others to be their best.”
Jo has worked in the field of pre-operative assessment for 20 years. Since 2022, she has led the standardisation of the pre-operative assessment services across Circle Health Group’s 45 hospital sites. Jo has role modelled an excellence in behaviours to create a supportive environment for the nursing teams. Not content with just implementing a service, Jo has worked tirelessly to support and educate teams across the UK on the importance of pre-operative assessment, sharing best practice, personal experiences and running educational workshops to encourage her colleagues to develop their own skills and interests.
Jo was nominated by Circle Health Group’s Director of Clinical Practice and Specialist Services and Professional Lead Nurse Vicky Jones. She said: “Jo’s work has raised the profile of pre-operative assessment as a nurse-led discipline within our organisation. She champions, with passion, the pivotal role this service plays in patient safety. Jo is a nursing leader like no other I have had the privilege to work with. Her work ethic and depth of knowledge in her speciality is unrivalled, yet her polite compassionate manner means people are not intimidated, and they feel they are on a shared learning journey, her nursing teaching is patient centric.”
"Receiving this award still hasn’t sunk in. To be honoured in this way means so much to me and ultimately it means recognition for what I strive to do every day as a nurse I love doing what I do, it’s my purpose. It’s a moment of reflection for me – and a spark – a reminder that there is still so much to do, and I’m ready!”
Siziwe Turner, Quality Matron, Isle of Wight NHS Trust , FNF DAISY Award honouree
“I am truly grateful and honoured to receive this award. To be recognised alongside such dedicated, extraordinary and compassionate nursing professionals is deeply humbling. My 40 plus years in nursing has been an incredible adventure. It’s more than a career – it's my vocation and who I am as a person. But someone has to believe you can take that journey, and stand beside you. I am fortunate to work alongside some incredible people who share my passion for delivering outstanding, patient centred care. This award is as much theirs as it is mine."
Jo Mahoney, National Lead for Pre-operative Assessment Service, Circle Health Group, FNF DAISY Award honouree
Compassionate leadership
Isle of Wight NHS Trust’s Chief Nurse, Hayley Peters added: “I am incredibly proud of Siziwe’s fantastic achievement. To be recognised with a globally recognised award is a true reflection of Siziwe’s leadership and dedication to improving the standards of care for patients and staff at the Trust.”
Adam Busby, Chief Clinical and Quality Officer at Circle Health Group said: “We are immensely proud of Jo for receiving such a prestigious award. Jo is an exceptional nurse and clinical leader who not only embodies Circle Health Group’s values but stands out as an incredible ambassador for nursing professionals.”
Our partnership with the DAISY Foundation brings together FNF’s commitment to developing compassionate, courageous leaders with the DAISY Foundation’s global mission to honour the skill, compassion, and humanity of nurses and midwives. Together, we shine a light on those who inspire others and drive improvement in care through leadership grounded in learning and reflection.
Nominations now open for the 2026 DAISY Awards
We invite all our Chief Nurse Members to nominate a nurse or midwife from their organisation for our 2026 DAISY Award.
Next year’s theme, Learning under the spotlight, celebrates those who turn reflection into action – leaders who learn from experience, feedback or review findings.
Applications close on 15 December. Find out more here.
