Celebration of the nursing and midwifery community. Ceremony to present ‘Golden Caps’ and ‘Diplomas of Recognition’

26.05.2025

– (…) to give peace and sunshine to people, to restore hope to those who are suffering – with these words from the nursing hymn, the Golden Caps and diploma award ceremony began. They are presented as a token of recognition in the nursing and midwifery community.

The guests gathered at the ceremony were welcomed by the host Anna Lignowska, Deputy Chief Executive for Nursing at the UCC, the MUG Hospital. Jakub Kraszewski, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of the UCC spoke – I am impressed by your patience, professionalism and de-escalation of emotions, which often lead to various critical situations. Dr. Kraszewski spoke about the plight of all healthcare workers and the difficulties they face in relation to the recent tragic events.

– When a new doctor comes to see me in the clinic, my first advice is ‘get along with the nurses, they will help you’. This is what I would like to thank you very much for. Also for supporting our young people, showing patience, empathy, experience and composure. Without you, the therapeutic team simply does not exist’ said Ninela Irga-Jaworska, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., Head of the Department of Paediatrics, Haematology and Oncology at the Medical University of Gdansk, in a message of appreciation to the nurses and midwives.

Anastasia Kalogridou-Błajet, doyenne of midwifery and long-standing supervisor of nurses and midwives at the UCC, the MUG Hospital, also spoke. In her speech, she emphasised the changes which have taken place in the health service over the last few decades – Nursing and midwifery has developed a lot, it is no longer what it used to be. This is a credit to all of us – the nurses and midwives and the medical caretakers who play an increasingly important role in our therapeutic teams. For all these years of working with you, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Katarzyna Kretowicz, M.D., Ph.D., President of the Regional Chamber of Nurses and Midwives in Gdańsk, talked about the activities of the Regional Chamber of Nurses and Midwives in Gdańsk, as well as the institution’s achievements, initiatives and future plans. – I want to thank you for your work, for your daily effort, but also for the fact that I can stand in this position, because it is thanks to you that I am the president,’ she added.

Tomasz Stefaniak, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., MBA, Director of Medical Affairs, Chief Medical Officer at the UCC, the MUG Hospital, also took the floor to address the gathered guests – If we did not have nurses in the hospital, the hospital would have to be closed – you cannot run a hospital without nursing teams. The fact that we are all here today, and I see many of the heads of wards as well, at a meeting dedicated to rewarding those of you who are the best providers of hope for patients, providers of help, support, merit and encouragement for those who come to us, is simply obvious.

Diplomas of Recognition for exemplary work in health care, which are awarded to members of the OIPiP in Gdańsk for their merits in activity for the benefit of the professional community and patients, were presented by Katarzyna Kretowicz, M.D., Ph.D., President of the Regional Chamber of Nurses and Midwives in Gdańsk, and Lucyna Nowicka from the Department of Obstetric-Gynaecological Nursing at the MUG.

The culminating part of the ceremony was the presentation of the Golden Caps. This year, these unique awards presented in recognition of exemplary and long-standing work at the University Clinical Centre, the hospital of the Medical University of Gdańsk, were awarded to:

- Beata Koszela, CNM, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Gynaecological Oncology and Gynaecological Endocrinology,
- Edyta Malinowska, CNM, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Gynaecological Oncology and Gynaecological Endocrinology,
- Natalia Królikowska, CNM, Department of Neonatology,
- Marlena Kubach, RN, Department of Adult Neurology,
- Elżbieta Skarżyńska, RN, Department of Pneumonology,
- Joanna Leśniewska, RN, Department of Adult Psychiatry,
- Beata Białobrzeska, RN, Department of Nephrology, Transplantology and Internal Medicine,
- Teresa Schuchardt, RN, Department of Rheumatology, Clinical Immunology, Geriatrics and Internal Medicine,
- Małgorzata Szmytkowska, RN, Department of Oncology, Transplantation and General Surgery,
- Danuta Formella, RN, Department of Cardiac Surgery,
- Iwona Podgórska-Leszczyńska, RN, Department of Cardiac Surgery.

Congratulations!