Nancy Thomas, from Monmouth, who started her training as an auxiliary in 1993, has received a British Empire Medal (BEM).

Although she retired as a Stoma Specialist Nurse in 2015, when the pandemic hit the 67-year-old she renewed her registration and joined the bank at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.

Nancy earnt the nickname 'Super Nan' (Image: Nancy Thomas)

Working as a staff nurse, she carried out shifts at hospitals in Newport, Torfaen, Monmouthshire, and Ebbw Vale - often working well above her allocated hours - and soon earned the nickname 'Super Nan' for her dedication and rapport with patients and staff alike.

She said she was "shocked" to learn she had received the honour, but described it as "a nice surprise".

“I am passionate about nursing and will be until I am 90," she said.

“One of my favourite things about this job is seeing somebody smile who I never thought would again and seeing people come out the other side.

“The nickname ‘Super Nan’ came about because of my age - some of the younger staff members found out my age and they were shocked.

“They would ask me how I felt that some of the people on the ward during covid were younger than me, but I have never thought about my age in that way.

Nancy returned to nursing during the pandemic (Image: Nancy Thomas)

“People said it was a risk for me to go back but I thought I have to go back, there wasn’t a decision where I wouldn’t, even my family thought it was risky.”

On her experiences during the pandemic, Ms Thomas said: “Sometimes I would work 12 hours and be on my feet all day then go home for two hours and I’d receive a phone call to go back into a night shift.

Thanks to her services to NHS Wales Nancy received the honour (Image: Newsquest)

“The younger staff would ask me how I do it, and I said you just do and don’t think about it.

“Everyone was mucking in together and it worked.

“It was hard with the masks especially wearing them for 12 hour shifts and the uniform because you went from nothing to everything, I thought I can cope with it two days a week but it escalated to me working five days a week.”

After her initial retirement in 2015, Ms Thomas joined the Community Health Council (CHC), a volunteer organisation working with the Welsh Government to ensure patients' rights are upheld. She was later elected as chairwoman of the South East Wales region.