Student Nurse of the Year: Learning Disabilities

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.

Stage one of the judging process involves judges shortlisting entries based solely on the information you have provided here, so please make sure your entry includes as much evidence as possible. In stage two, shortlisted entrants will present their entries to a panel of judges for deliberation on Tuesday 21st September. This is currently scheduled to be in-person in our London offices (as it was pre-pandemic). This second stage is subject to change in accordance with official guidance relating to Covid-19. In case the second stage which is in-person cannot take place, your entry will be judged by the information you submit therefore please include as much information as possible.

What are the judges looking for?

The judges are looking for an exceptional nursing student who can demonstrate excellence in the following:

• Promoting and enabling social inclusion
• Reducing health inequalities
• Understanding of complex multi-agency relationships and partnership working
• Interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to use them with clients, families and carers
• An ability to act with compassion and empathy
• Active listening, responding and personalising care to meet clients’ needs
• Academic achievement
• Acting as a role model for student nursing
• Team playing and an appreciation of the role of nursing within the wider multidisciplinary team
• Use of reflection and the confidence to question practice even if they may challenge others
• Understanding of the rationale behind evidence-based practice, treatment choices and care pathways

Please attach any supporting evidence to your application that you feel is relevant. This can include testimonials, mentor or university staff feedback or student evaluations or any other appropriate evidence.

Please note: you must be a final-year student on a learning disabilities nursing pre-registration course when the awards take place in November 2021 or have graduated in the six months prior to this to enter this award.

Take a look at what our 2019 winner had to say about winning the award: