Nurse Myra is latest to be crowned a Health Hero

A NURSE who was described as a “comfort blanket” to both patients and work colleagues during vital operations has been named our latest Health Hero.

Myra Byron, a theatre scrub nurse at University Hospital Llandough (UHL), was praised for her amazing attitude to the job and her wonderful care of patients.

As well as being responsible for passing instruments to surgeons in theatre, the 63-year-old is a “reassuring face” to patients who are bracing themselves to go under the knife.

Fellow team members said she’s often the first to stand up and voice her opinions in team meetings and plays a huge part in organising and revising patient lists.

“I love working in Llandough. It’s a lovely environment and our team are like one big family,” said the Rhoose resident.

“A lot of the patients who come here are nervous and upset about their operations or have needle phobias. I’m a mother with grown-up children and grandchildren so I just try to put myself in the patients’ shoes when they come in and imagine how they would feel.”

Myra qualified as a nurse in 1975 but moved to Germany a decade later when her husband was posted there by the Royal Air Force. She returned to Wales in 1990 where she worked as a tailor at RAF St Athan but she still managed to keep her nursing registration by working as a bank nurse.

In 2000, she began working permanently at UHL and has remained there since. She said most of the surgical procedures taking place at the hospital are elective but there are sometimes emergency cases.

“If you work in the medical profession you need to have a strange sense of humour,” she added.

“There’s a lot of pressure and sometimes we work flat out but it’s very rare that we cancel operations here.”

Fellow team member Victoria Wilson, who nominated Myra for the Health Hero accolade, said: “If Myra is in theatre we have a comfort blanket. Her manner and caring nature is lovely to see with each and every patient and given that she often works on a theatre list that can be difficult. She always conducts herself with tact and compassion.

“Those patients often need extra support and she is always trying to make a horrible situation a little more bearable.

“On top of this she is the first to speak up for staff at departmental meetings and is always working flat out to ensure that staff get breaks and get home on time.

“She is selfless and will always stay late to allow other staff to go home so that patients aren’t cancelled. The whole department is absolutely in love with her and she has us all in stitches daily with her Welsh-isms.”

By becoming a Health Hero, Myra will receive a free treatment at the award-winning Park Plaza Hotel in Greyfriars Road, Cardiff.

If you know an unsung hero who works or volunteers for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board you can nominate them for our Health Hero award by emailing mark.smith@mediawales. co.uk