Enter now
If you need help with your entry or require any clarification, please contact:
Abdullah Waqas
T: 020 3953 2648
E:
Abdullah.Waqas@emap.com
We would advise completing your entry in Word or a similar programme first before copying and pasting into the entry form.
The entry deadline for the
Student Nursing Times Awards
is
13 December 2024.
The winners will be announced at the
JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel, London
on
2 May 2025.
Individual
Apprentice Nurse of the Year - NEW!
New for this year, this award category aims to recognise an outstanding final-year student on a nursing degree apprenticeship course. Our inaugural winner will join a select group of standout individuals who have won one of our headline student of the year categories.
Nursing degree apprenticeships enable people to train to become a graduate registered nurse through an apprentice route. Introduced in England during 2017, nurse apprenticeships are proving an increasingly popular way of entering nursing.
This award aims to celebrate this new route into registered nursing and the breadth of learning needed to join the profession – from clinical skills to academic achievement, which underpin the treatment of all patients.
In essence, entrants must combine the knowledge, skills and qualities required to excel. As a student on a degree apprenticeship course, the winner will have a broad understanding of a range of conditions and treatments, and demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the nursing profession and its responsibilities.
Learner of the Year: Post-registration
Registration is rarely the end of your formal learning journey. This award recognises the importance of nurses, midwives and nursing associates continuing to study and develop throughout their career.
This can be achieved in a variety of ways – either by studying an academic course or by other methods of continuing professional development (CPD), including online learning.
Open to registered professionals in any branch or field of nursing or midwifery, this award recognises outstanding learning and motivation to continually update knowledge and skills.
Mary Seacole Award for Outstanding Contribution to Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity, equality and inclusion are values that should underpin all aspects of nursing and midwifery education.
This award aims to recognise a pre-registration student who has made an exceptional contribution to creating a supportive and inclusive environment for patients and/or other students and staff from diverse backgrounds due to, for example, disability, race and sexual orientation.
Entrants will have demonstrated a clear understanding for the need to support diversity, equality and inclusion, as well as commitment and creativity in promoting it.
Most Inspirational Student Nurse of the Year
One of our major award categories for students, some would say the biggest of them all. Inspiring others around us is what sets people apart as leaders, innovators and role models. This award recognises a final-year student who has truly inspired their peers or colleagues, either at their higher education institution or while on a placement.
Entrants could have overcome significant obstacles in their personal lives or circumstances to achieve success as a student. Alternatively, they could have contributed to their studies or placement in such a way that has inspired others, for example, by advising, guiding and acting as enablers for junior peers.
In addition, entrants could have worked with a charity, undertaken a personal project or developed an innovation that would benefit health professionals or patients. The effort, work and behaviour of this student nurse will be an inspiration to those around them.
Outstanding Contribution to Student Affairs
Attending a higher education institution should be a rich and rewarding experience, with many opportunities to engage with wider university life and bring about improvements for fellow students.
This award seeks to recognise a student who has made an exceptional contribution to student affairs during their time at university.
Examples include the improvement of their curriculum, facilities, wellbeing, environment, or rules and regulations, as well as enhancing the experience of fellow student nurses or midwives.
Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability
Attending a higher education institution should be a rich and rewarding experience, with many opportunities to engage with wider university life and bring about improvements for fellow students.
Now in its second year, this award seeks to recognise a student nurse, midwife or nursing associate who has made an exceptional contribution to promoting sustainability and green issues during their time at university.
Examples include.
Practice Supervisor of the Year
Practice supervisors have the potential to shape, motivate and inspire student nurses, midwives and nursing associates.
Good supervisors demonstrate empathy with their student, adapting their coaching methods to suit the individual, and providing an environment that encourages questions, informed debate and learning. This award recognises their important mentoring role in the education of student nurses and midwives.
It is open to any registered nurse or midwife who is a practice supervisor working in acute and community settings, the NHS or independent sector, mentoring students on placement and supervising one or more students.
Student Innovation in Practice
While students are learning and observing, they can also bring about positive change themselves. This award seeks to recognise a pre-registration student who has made an exceptional contribution to their placement by inspiring, leading or carrying out an innovative project.
This project could lead to improvements in the care of patients or service users through better experience or outcomes. Likewise, it could help support other students or improve the wellbeing of staff, so they are better enabled to provide high-quality care, or improve the effectiveness or efficiency of service delivery.
Student Midwife of the Year
One of our headline student of the year categories, the winner will join a select group of standout individuals. This award aims to recognise an outstanding student midwife and to celebrate the understanding and communication skills needed in this field – from clinical skills to academic achievement, as well as interpersonal skills, which underpin the treatment of this patient group and relate to their families.
In essence, entrants must combine the knowledge, skills and qualities required to excel. As a final-year student about to enter a midwifery career, the winner will have a broad understanding of the range of conditions and contraindications related to midwifery care and will demonstrate excellent clinical skills to ensure best is delivered at all times throughout antenatal, birth and postnatal care.
Student Nurse of the Year: Adult
One of our headline student of the year categories, the winner will join a select group of standout individuals. This award aims to recognise an outstanding final-year student and to celebrate the breadth of learning needed to join this branch of the profession – from clinical skills to academic achievement, which underpin the treatment of all patients.
In essence, entrants must combine the knowledge, skills and qualities required to excel. As a nurse entering adult nursing, the winner will have a broad understanding of a range of conditions and treatments, and demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the nursing profession and its responsibilities.
Student Nurse of the Year: Children
One of our headline student of the year categories, the winner will join a select group of standout individuals. This award aims to recognise and acknowledge the excellent communication skills as well as good clinical knowledge needed to care for this distinct group of younger patients.
We are looking for a final-year pre-registration student nurse who can advocate for children and young people undergoing acute treatment or with long-term conditions, and their parents or carers. Entrants should be able to demonstrate a high level of nursing knowledge and a special set of skills to help them win the trust of this patient group.
Student Nurse of the Year: Learning Disabilities
One of our headline student of the year categories, the winner will join a select group of standout individuals. This award aims to recognise and celebrate the unique nature of learning disabilities nursing, in which the focus is on encouraging this client group to participate in society and to promote and maintain health and wellbeing.
The winner will be able to demonstrate the interpersonal skills required of nurses who enter this sector, and the ability to work with this client group in a way that enables them to maximise their independence, and respects their right to self-determination.
Student Nurse of the Year: Mental Health
One of our headline student of the year categories, the winner will join a select group of standout individuals. This award celebrates the skills that mental health student nurses need to develop to nurse this often hard-to-reach and excluded group of people.
The judges will be looking for an outstanding final-year pre-registration student who offers excellent care and support to this group in treating or helping them to manage their mental health problems.
Student Nurse or Midwife of the Year: Clinical Research
Clinical research nursing is an important and rapidly growing specialty, which promotes and develops the vital role of nurses and midwives in high-quality clinical research settings.
Ensuring a vibrant clinical research culture throughout the health and social care system is essential to finding new and innovative solutions to health and care needs.
This award aims to recognise and acknowledge a student nurse or midwife who has shown themselves to be a true advocate for clinical research, for example, by promoting it to their peers through their experience or raising the profile of clinical research placements through positive impacts.
The category is open to entries from student nurses and midwives for activities undertaken during their pre reg programme. Applications are encouraged from both the health and social care sector. Placement providers may also nominate candidates.
Student Nursing Associate of the Year
Nursing associates, recently introduced in England to bridge the gap between healthcare support workers and registered nurses, are fast becoming an established and growing part of the workforce.
This award aims to recognise an outstanding final-year student nursing associate and to celebrate their ability to deliver safe, quality hands-on care and support the registered nursing workforce.
Entrants must be able to demonstrate that they can take personal responsibility and work independently within defined parameters of practice, taking the appropriate initiative in a variety of situations and performing a range of clinical skills to deliver high-quality person-centred care.
This category was previously called Nursing Associate Trainee of the Year but has been updated in line with the fact that nursing associates now study for a foundation degree.
University Educator of the Year
Excellent teaching is the foundation on which future generations of nurses, midwives and nursing associates are built.
This award is for teachers, lecturers and educators at higher education institutions who inspire, enthuse and motivate their students and, in so doing, further their quest for knowledge and understanding.
It is for those individual educators who stand out from the crowd and truly shine for their students.
Organisation
Best Student Experience
Retaining students on their courses until graduation is vital to the future supply of nurses, midwives and nursing associates. This award seeks to recognise universities and higher education providers that truly emphasise and excel at giving students the best possible overall experience.
This key focus ensures students are supported in an education setting that is nurturing of the whole person as well as being conducive to encouraging excellence in learning.
Student experience has never felt more important than now, with courses competing for learners and more choice than ever before about what, where and how they study.
Nurse Education Provider of the Year (pre-registration)
Students are the future of the profession. Teaching and supporting them through the pre-registration period to final graduation is the vital role of higher education institutions.
This award recognises those universities and other institutions that stand out from the crowd because of the high standards of academic and practical teaching that they provide to their student nurses, midwives and nursing associates, as well as the excellent resources on offer to inspire them and nurture their development.
Nurse Education Provider of the Year (post-registration)
Ongoing education and continuing professional development are essential for nurses, midwives and nursing associates to progress and prosper once they are registered.
This award category is designed to recognise the higher education institutions and health and care providers that offer the best courses to develop the leadership, management and clinical skills of registered nurses, midwives and nursing associates.
This award aims to shine a light on those institutions and providers that are offering a broad portfolio of courses, which are both highly relevant to nurses and midwives and also highly rated by them.
Nursing Apprenticeship Provider of the Year
Nursing degree apprenticeships enable people to train to become a graduate registered nurse through an apprentice route. Introduced in 2017, nurse apprenticeships are proving an increasingly popular way of entering nursing.
This award category, returning for its second year, recognises those universities and health and care providers that offer high standards of training, and excellent resources that inspire their nursing apprentices and nurture their development.
It aims to shine a light on those institutions and providers that are offering a broad portfolio of courses, which are both highly relevant to the nursing workforce and also highly rated by them.
What the judges are looking for:
An outstanding institution or provider demonstrating excellence in:
- Offering an educational environment that nurtures and develops talent
- Recruiting talented teaching staff who inspire, enthuse and motivate as well as educate
- Providing resources that give apprentices scope to consolidate their academic training
- Developing teaching methods that enrich the learning experience and deepen understanding
- Providing emotional and practical support for apprentices during their course of study through guidance and coaching
- Developing and upholding the professionalism of nursing
- Nurturing academic achievements, practical skills and interpersonal and communication qualities
- Providing career advice and practical guidance
- How they both communicate and understand how their apprenticeship provision is meeting the needs of the employing organisations, their apprentices and service users
Please attach any supporting evidence to your application that you feel is relevant. This can include testimonials, apprentice feedback or apprentice evaluations or any other appropriate evidence. Be aware that testimonial evidence while important is not all that is expected in your submission.
Examples of evidence:
- Testimonial from apprentices who have benefitted from your approaches to teaching and learning, mentorship, coaching or other support
- Evidence of evaluation of your teaching and leadership skills which might include evaluation, attainment data, evidence of changes to policy and practices
- Evidence of apprentice achievements outside of assessed work, for example, opportunities taken to participate in local or national projects and schemes that support development
- Evidence of supporting the development of social capital, confidence, and leadership skills
- Evidence of dissemination via publication, conference presentation or public engagement
Please note: We strongly recommend sending videos and photographs to bring your learning environment to life.
If you are shortlisted for this award, you will be invited to attend our offices to present to the judges. The shortlist will be informed of any changes to the final judging process.
Nursing Associate Training Programme Provider of the Year (pre-registration)
Nursing associates, recently introduced in England to bridge the gap between healthcare support workers and registered nurses, are fast becoming an established and growing part of the workforce.
Training those seeking to join the ranks of this role, of which there are now more than 9,000 on the register, is key to its ongoing and future success.
This award recognises excellence among higher education institutions that inspire and nurture the development of their student nursing associates while they complete their foundation degree and apprenticeship.
Partnership of the Year
Partnerships are a powerful way for organisations to bring about improvements, innovations and expanded opportunities for the benefit of their students and learners.
This award seeks to recognise the important collaboration between higher educational institutions and organisations that provide health and care, with a view to creating a conducive learning environment.
Student Placement of the Year: Community
Clinical placements are one of the most exhilarating but also challenging parts of a student nurse’s educational experience. This award category seeks to recognise community settings that go the extra mile to manage the anxieties associated with going on placement by providing a structured learning environment that helps students to develop and flourish.
This includes clearly setting out what pre-registration students will be exposed to during their time on placement, and ensuring they are supported to learn, practise skills and gain knowledge from those around them with more experience.
Student Placement of the Year: Hospital
Clinical placements are one of the most exhilarating but also challenging parts of a student nurse’s educational experience. This award category seeks to recognise the wards and hospital settings that go the extra mile to manage the anxieties associated with going on placement by providing a structured learning environment that helps students to develop and flourish.
This includes clearly setting out what pre-registration students will be exposed to during their time at the hospital, and ensuring they are supported to learn, practise skills and gain knowledge from those around them with more experience.
Teaching Innovation of the Year
Offering an innovative teaching environment is a vital part of attracting and retaining the best students.
In an increasingly competitive academic and recruitment landscape, universities and placement providers need to adapt traditional methods or develop new ones to offer interesting and engaging ways of learning.
This award category is about highlighting innovative teaching methods that are workable, successful and potentially sustainable, such as use of social networking, modern communication media or new technology.