NURSES who look after heart patients have received national praise for their work in cardiac nursing awards.

Staff in cardiothoracic services at The James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, were shortlisted in three categories - winning one and coming second in the other two.

The awards, held in association with the British Journal of Cardiac Nursing and British Association for Nursing in Cardiac Care, honour cardiac nursing and nominations were received from across the country.

The ceremony was held at the Cafe Royal, in Piccadilly, London, and representatives from the three James Cook teams attended.

Senior arrhythmia care co-ordinator Jayne Mudd was delighted to win an award for excellence or innovation in arrhythmia management - an abnormality of the heart's rhythm.

She said. "The evening was a very glamorous, yet nerve-racking, but we all enjoyed it. It was an honour to represent the hospital and I was thrilled to win and delighted that the other teams came in second - a great night all round for the division."

The coronary care unit team was second for excellence and innovation in acute/critical cardiac care. The percutaneous coronary intervention team was second for excellence and innovation in cardiac interventional surgery.