Intensive care unit research co-ordinator Julie Smith and clinical nurse specialist Jane Walker have each received $1000 for their respective research projects under the Iris Benbow Scholarship.

Iris established the Intensive Care Auxiliary in 1979 after being a patient of the unit herself.

Her daughter, Combined Auxiliaries president Beth Benbow, said the group had since raised more than $1 million for the ICU.

Mrs Smith’s research will look at the impact of the hospital’s post-ICU clinic on anxiety, depression and symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder for patients.

She said this research would inform whether the hospital needed to change any of its procedures when it came to offering support and guidance to patients.

Mrs Smith said some of the scholarship would also go towards smaller projects on pressure areas.

Ms Walker is undertaking a project on the ICU’s pre-admission clinic, and how this affects theatre cancellations and the length of stay in hospital.

ICU director Dr Jason Fletcher said the unit wanted to recognise the work of its nurses, whose hard work often went unsung, with the scholarship.

Dr Fletcher said it was decided to name the scholarship after Iris as someone else who was treasured within the unit, but relatively unknown outside the hospital.

Ms Benbow said she was “so proud” of her mother.

“I have been all along for what she’s done… she’s been an awesome lady, an awesome leader of the auxiliary,” she said.