Nursing Associate Learner of the Year

Kim Ball
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Kim has gained confidence and new skills over the two year Nursing Associate Apprentice programme. She confidently links theory to practice and puts this to use in patient care. Kim has developed leadership and decision making skills while on the programme. She is now leading the ambulatory wound clinic which is an indicator of her increased skills and confidence and is a huge support to the team. Kim has developed a particular interest in supporting palliative patients. She is highly tuned in to patients needs and with her increased knowledge, and is often the first to recognise change.

Nicole Barr
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust

Nicole is hugely modest and immensely capable. Nicole has shown both academic and clinical excellence and is committed to continuing to develop and improve. Nicole is hugely proactive in her approach to learning in both theoretical and practical pursuits and receives consistently high feedback from both academic and practice staff. Nicole recognises the opportunity completing the FDNA programme presents and has fully embraced the challenges of this.

Julie Bayliss
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust

Julie stands out for her tremendous passion for mental health and her drive to improve mental health services and access. Julie has been able to convey her powerful regard of the importance of mental health to her colleagues and the feedback she has received from service users also pays testament to this. Julie has been able to excel in challenging circumstances and will be a credit to the profession.

Victoria Griffiths
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust

Victoria is an exceptional and passionate Nursing Associate Apprentice, who embraces her apprenticeship with such enthusiasm and exuberance. During her apprenticeship she has respond to advice appropriately, learning about herself becoming very insightful to become an excellent competent and confident nursing associate. She centres her care around her patients, delivering evidence based, non judgemental care in a compassionate and kind manner. Throughout her apprenticeship Victoria has demonstrated growth in her leadership skills, problem solving within her working day, becoming more confident in her decision making due to her increased knowledge base. We are so proud of Victoria.

Abbey Jury
London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust

This Student Nurse Associate Apprentice completed the programme in September 2023 graduating with a distinction. Abbey has always gone the extra mile, both at work in clinical practice and at university. In 2021 Abbey demonstrated providing high quality, evidence-based, holistic, non-judgemental person-centred care, compassionately, competently and confidently and was the winner of the Trust’s internal Staff Excellence Awards and was issued with a special award after saving a person's life coming home from long day shift at Christmas.

Ethan McKnight
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Ethan, a rising star Trainee Nursing Associate at the University of Salford, has earned two prestigious award nominations within 13 months for his exceptional dedication to nursing and compassionate leadership. Transitioning from a music educator to a TNA at Manchester Royal Infirmary NHS Foundation Trust, Ethan's compassionate care drew public attention, earning him the MFT Trust GEM Award for Professional Excellence in March 2023. More recently, his outstanding commitment, nurturing guidance and unwavering support for fellow TNAs and exemplary patient care has sparked admiration and appreciation, leading to another nomination for the NMGH People Award in November 2023.

Elisha Parkinson
South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust

Elisha is an exceptional Nursing Associate apprentice, who is highly motivated to further develop her own skills and knowledge in order to make a difference to the patients she works with, and exemplifies what a Nursing Associate should be. Through communication and rapport, Elisha has supported a number of clients to improve their physical health and is very much aware of the need to show compassion, empathy and respect with individuals and their family. Elisha is a fantastic ambassador for this role, and moving forward I am sure she will confidently support future Nursing Associate trainees to succeed.

Neelesh Patel
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bolton

Neelesh is a TNA at the University of Bolton. He is a dedicated, highly respected and valued member of his cohort and his organisation, Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS foundation Trust. He is well recognised by his placement areas as a learner who continuously goes the extra mile for patients and staff and has an eagerness to learn in order to provide the best care possible for his patients. He makes outstanding contributions to his community, volunteering his time to patients outside of working hours and acts as an ambassador for numerous underrepresented groups of both patients and staff.

Roxana Stewart
Practice Plus Group

Roxana’s intuitive nature and ability to see the bigger picture, has seen her deliver a huge impact in her role as Nurse Associate at HMP The Mount. Recognising the significant opportunity for health professionals to positively affect the health outcomes of those in prison, Roxana approaches every task with the same sense of purpose and enthusiasm. Unafraid to challenge established processes, Roxana has overhauled the site’s health promotion efforts. Whether the feedback comes from patients, colleagues, or partners they are equally complimentary of what she has achieved – with patients literally queuing up to get involved in the latest initiatives.

Emma Thorp
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

Emma has been able to demonstrate a high level of person centred care within her scope of practice. Throughout her 2 years as a nursing associate student Emma has had nothing but positive comments about her practice from different healthcare professionals, University staff, and of course her patients. Emma is not only an advocate to her patients but also has been a voice for her peers at university. Emma has been a remarkable student in practice and in the classroom and deserves the recognition for this.

Laura Valls Rodriguez
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust

Laura started on the Trauma Unit and has shown great determination throughout the course whilst maintaining a good sense of humour in the process. Laura is a very focused individual who works extremely hard to achieve her goals; she works to a high professional standard and inspires those around her to do the same. Laura demonstrates her ability to provide high quality, evidence-based care every day in her practice and is passionate about learning, sharing best practice and supporting others, patients and colleagues.