Following a record-breaking year of award entries, the winners of the Student Nursing Times Awards have been announced at Grosvenor House on Park Lane.
“It’s safe to say, just being shortlisted is a real achievement and you should all be incredibly proud of yourselves”
Steve Ford
Among the winners was student Nursing Times editor, Craig Davidson, from Glasgow Caledonian University, who was awarded the Student Nurse of the Year in the adult nursing category.
Judges described Mr Davidson is an “ambassador for the profession, for the practice for patients and society, and a worthy winner”.
Picking up the Student Nurse of the Year award for the children’s category, was Rachel Dakin from the University of Nottingham.
Ms Dakin was awarded for her “innovation to improve patients and family experiences”, the judges explained. They described her as a “children’s nurse leader of the future”.
In addition, Kate Young from Bangor University was judged as the Student Nurse of the Year for learning disabilities.
The judges said they felt Ms Young was an “outstanding candidate” who “demonstrated exceptional skills” in all areas of the judging criteria.
The award for Student Nurse of the Year for mental health nursing went to Will McIlhiney from the University of Northampton. Mr McIlhiney was awarded for his “excellent values and characteristics” as a student mental health nurse.
The judges said they believed Mr McIlhiney’s “humanism and warmth evidently makes positive changes to peoples’ lives”.
Meanwhile, the award for Student Midwife of the Year was given to Hannah Barnes from the University of Huddersfield, who was described by judges as a “role model for students”. Judges also commented on Ms Barnes’ “warm manner with a real passion for midwifery that shone through”.
This year marked the introduction of two new award categories for the nursing associate role, after the first group joined the profession earlier this year.
The first to receive the Nursing Associate Trainee of the Year award went to Lee Pockett from Milton Keynes University Hospital Foundation Trust.
The judges said they felt Mr Pockett “utilised connections with the wider team to improve patient care, while also constantly seeking out learning opportunities for personal development”.
Our second new category- Nursing Associate Training Programme Provider of the Year- was awarded to Kingston University: St George’s University of London.
According to the judges, the university demonstrated evidence of “strong and seamless partnership”. The judges said they were impressed by the “explicit evidence of developing and upholding the professionalism of nursing associates”.
This year’s event also saw a new category called the Mary Seacole Award for Outstanding Contribution to Diversity and Inclusion.
The winner was the University of Nottingham, School of Health Sciences BME Student Network who impressed the judges by “showing enthusiasm and use of personal experience to help others in a positive way”. The university were awarded for identifying the “racial empathy gap” and organising drop in sessions for students having difficulties and requiring support.
James Shears, from the Haringey Learning Disability Partnership was judged as Mentor of the Year and was celebrated by the judges for the way he “installs pride, empowerment and confidence in students”.
Taking home the Educator of the Year award was Grant King from the University of Dundee. He was described by the judges as a “force of nature whose enthusiasm and passion are clearly underpinned by sound pedagogy and pragmatism”.
Swansea University picked up the Nurse Education Provider of the Year for pre-registration and Cardiff University, Specialist Community Public Health Nursing Team, for post-registration.
The final award of the afternoon went to Gary Cutmore for the Most Inspirational Student Nurse of the Year.
Mr Cutmore, from Kingston University, St George’s University of London was described by the judges as an “inspiring, motivating role model”. They said he was “charismatic, insightful and determined, demonstrating the very essence of intelligent caring”.
Steve Ford, Nursing Times editor and host of the ceremony said: “The 2019 Student Nursing Times Awards has been a record-breaking year.
“With over 173 shortlisted candidates which were whittled down from over 600 entries, the most we have ever received! It’s safe to say, just being shortlisted is a real achievement and you should all be incredibly proud of yourselves.”
Going into their 9th year, the Student Nursing Times Awards will return in 2020 and are the only awards recognising student nurses and nurse education.
https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/education/winners-of-the-student-nursing-times-awards-2019-revealed/7028727.article