Shazeena Iqbal
June 2025
Shazeena
Iqbal
,
RN
Bluebell Children's Ward
East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust
Stevenage
,
Hertfordshire
United Kingdom
At a time when we felt very out of control, she made sure we were well informed and involved in all of the plans for her treatment. Whilst her primary role is looking after the children under her care, Shaz went above and beyond in making my husband and me feel as supported and reassured as possible.
My 8-week-old son was admitted to the Bluebell ward following a bacterial infection. As you can imagine as a first time parent, this was extremely daunting. I used to work as a registered professional at Lister Hospital, so I am fully aware of the Trust’s values and what each staff member should be maintaining during their care of patients. I can say with absolute confidence that the care has been amazing from his visit in the Children’s Assessment Unit/Children’s Emergency Department right up until his discharge from Bluebell ward.
In particular, Staff Nurse Shaz on Bluebell ward has been exceptional, which is why I’d like to nominate her for a DAISY Award. She took the time to listen to my concerns as a mother, but made sure she cared for both me and my son with her holistic approach. She was empathetic, nurturing, compassionate and went above and beyond for both my son and I. No task or question asked was too much trouble, and she was able to provide me with the confidence I needed to go forward in feeding my son on a different formula and provided me with emotional/mental health support postpartum following my journey so far.
The last eight weeks of motherhood have been really challenging and not the best experience and somehow talking to Shaz has made going forward as a mum that little bit easier, especially after providing support, advice, guidance and reassurance. I cannot thank her enough, she is a credit to the ward and to Lister Hospital.
***
Our three year old daughter was hospitalised multiple times via ambulance due to unexplained seizures. These always required emergency care (often in resus) and several weeks-long stays on Bluebell Ward. We also had two blue light transfers to Addenbrooke’s for more specialist care. Our daughter had to undergo many invasive tests to understand her medical condition and the best treatment plan.
I was 6 weeks postpartum at the time of her first admission and was breastfeeding a baby and still recovering from birth. This coupled with the fact that her condition was complex and unexplained meant that this was a really traumatic period for my husband and I, as well as our wider family. From the first interaction with Shaz I could tell that she was someone who could provide safe and competent care to our daughter but also that she was incredibly compassionate to my husband and me. She provided a shoulder to cry on and counselled me through many of the hospital processes and tests, and gave me reassurance that our daughter was safe. I spent every night with her during her admissions, and Shaz helped me manage my breastfeeding journey for our new son so that I could balance both of my children’s needs, and this had a really positive impact on my experience at the hospital.
On multiple occasions during our stays, Shaz went above and beyond in her role. For example, she worked tirelessly with the doctors to coordinate an urgent MRI scan for our daughter and a blue light transfer to Addenbrooke’s. I know this involved coordinating many teams and really advocating for our daughter to very stretched and busy teams. She always kept us up to date with our daughter’s treatment, and this made a massive difference in understanding her care plan. At a time when we felt very out of control, she made sure we were well informed and involved in all of the plans for her treatment. Whilst her primary role is looking after the children under her care, Shaz went above and beyond in making my husband and I feel as supported and reassured as possible - including visiting us in the resus department when we were readmitted - and this demonstrated to me her genuine compassion for our daughter and the exceptional support she provides for parents she interacts with. Thankfully, our daughter is now doing brilliantly and currently has her seizures under control, but I genuinely don't think I could have gotten through the last few months without the wonderful Bluebell team and Shaz.
In particular, Staff Nurse Shaz on Bluebell ward has been exceptional, which is why I’d like to nominate her for a DAISY Award. She took the time to listen to my concerns as a mother, but made sure she cared for both me and my son with her holistic approach. She was empathetic, nurturing, compassionate and went above and beyond for both my son and I. No task or question asked was too much trouble, and she was able to provide me with the confidence I needed to go forward in feeding my son on a different formula and provided me with emotional/mental health support postpartum following my journey so far.
The last eight weeks of motherhood have been really challenging and not the best experience and somehow talking to Shaz has made going forward as a mum that little bit easier, especially after providing support, advice, guidance and reassurance. I cannot thank her enough, she is a credit to the ward and to Lister Hospital.
***
Our three year old daughter was hospitalised multiple times via ambulance due to unexplained seizures. These always required emergency care (often in resus) and several weeks-long stays on Bluebell Ward. We also had two blue light transfers to Addenbrooke’s for more specialist care. Our daughter had to undergo many invasive tests to understand her medical condition and the best treatment plan.
I was 6 weeks postpartum at the time of her first admission and was breastfeeding a baby and still recovering from birth. This coupled with the fact that her condition was complex and unexplained meant that this was a really traumatic period for my husband and I, as well as our wider family. From the first interaction with Shaz I could tell that she was someone who could provide safe and competent care to our daughter but also that she was incredibly compassionate to my husband and me. She provided a shoulder to cry on and counselled me through many of the hospital processes and tests, and gave me reassurance that our daughter was safe. I spent every night with her during her admissions, and Shaz helped me manage my breastfeeding journey for our new son so that I could balance both of my children’s needs, and this had a really positive impact on my experience at the hospital.
On multiple occasions during our stays, Shaz went above and beyond in her role. For example, she worked tirelessly with the doctors to coordinate an urgent MRI scan for our daughter and a blue light transfer to Addenbrooke’s. I know this involved coordinating many teams and really advocating for our daughter to very stretched and busy teams. She always kept us up to date with our daughter’s treatment, and this made a massive difference in understanding her care plan. At a time when we felt very out of control, she made sure we were well informed and involved in all of the plans for her treatment. Whilst her primary role is looking after the children under her care, Shaz went above and beyond in making my husband and I feel as supported and reassured as possible - including visiting us in the resus department when we were readmitted - and this demonstrated to me her genuine compassion for our daughter and the exceptional support she provides for parents she interacts with. Thankfully, our daughter is now doing brilliantly and currently has her seizures under control, but I genuinely don't think I could have gotten through the last few months without the wonderful Bluebell team and Shaz.