Sister Holden is interviewed on television after her win.

The best in the North! That's Burnley nursing sister Cecilia Holden, who has won her way through to the national final of the Nurse of the Year Contest. Cecilia, 26, a nursing sister on the children's ward of Burnley General Hospital, came top in the North West and Yorkshire final of the competition, beating five other contestants.

Cecilia, of Red Spar Road, Burnley, was overjoyed at winning the area final, which already means a weekend trip for two in London for her. "I just can't believe it," she said. Her win was followed by an interview on Granada Television's current affairs programme, and the first thing she did on her return to Burnley was thank the person who entered her in the competition. That meant a trip to Colne to see nine-year-old Karen Walker, a diabetic, who Cecilia has treated at the hospital for two years.

Cecilia said: "I went to Leeds early in the morning, and we all got ready in our hospital uniforms. We each had 20-minute interviews with representatives from the Department of Health, which were followed by a fantastic dinner, and then the results were announced." The judges were looking for outstanding nursing qualities, and obviously found them in Cecilia. Her return to the hospital was greeted with flowers from the children on the ward and cakes from her nursing colleagues. And today Cecilia is off to Portland, Dorset, as the first part of her prize. Along with 11 national finalists, she will be the guest of the navy nurses for a few days, visiting a hospital ship.