The School of Nursing & Midwifery at Queen’s University Belfast took home two major titles at this year’s Student Nursing Times Awards, including Best Student Experience and Student Nurse of the Year.
Now in its 15th year, the Student Nursing Times Awards celebrate the exceptional achievements of student nurses, midwives, educators, and mentors. The inspiring ceremony shines a spotlight on the dedication, compassion, and innovation shaping the future of nursing and midwifery.
The School of Nursing & Midwifery triumphed within the ‘Best Student Experience’ category, with the School’s Ambition to Success programme taking the win.
The Ambition to Success programme is an extracurricular initiative designed for second- and third-year pre-registration nursing and midwifery students.
It aims to cultivate leadership, innovation, and advocacy skills necessary for shaping the future of healthcare. Participants engage in monthly workshops, led by industry leaders, and collaborate on a group project culminating in a final presentation event. Ambition to Success also provides personalised mentorship and coaching, preparing students to become future healthcare leaders.
It was noted that ‘the panel was extremely impressed with the real world impact of the health promotion activities that the students at Queen’s had undertaken’ and felt ‘the exposure and opportunities given to students to civil and political change makers, beyond the classroom was inspiring.’
Queen’s student, Louise Bradford, from Dromore, County Down, was recognised as ‘Student Nurse of the Year: Learning Disabilities’, with the panel proclaiming that Louise ‘greatly impressed’ them ‘with her enthusiasm.’ They also stated that ‘when talking about providing support for people with learning disabilities and their families her passion, determination and commitment shone through.’ Louise said that “receiving this award was an absolute privilege and I am so proud to be able to make even a small change within Learning Disability Nursing and be an advocate for the individuals I support within my practice.”
Commenting on the success, Professor Judy Williams, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students, said: “This is a wonderful accomplishment for the School of Nursing & Midwifery at Queen’s, and I congratulate everyone involved on these outstanding achievements.
“To receive national recognition at the Student Nursing Times Awards is a tremendous triumph and a real testament to the innovation, dedication and impact of the work taking place across the School. Winning Best Student Experience for Ambition to Success is particularly inspiring, reflecting the transformative opportunities being created for students and the strong values-led approach to nursing education at Queen’s. The judges’ comments speak volumes about the leadership, civic engagement and professional identity being nurtured through the programme.”
Professor Kenda Crozier is Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Queen’s, she said: “Both these awards are a fantastic achievement for the School. Our Learning Disability Nursing students are prepared for a huge variety of roles across health and social care, and they impact the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Louise is a shining example of a student who cares deeply about the people in her care, and we are delighted to see her honoured in this way. She has also benefited from being part of the Ambition to Success programme, through which she developed the leadership and advocacy skills which also impressed the panel. We are proud of our Learning Disability Nursing programme at Queen’s which is recruiting strongly despite the downturn in applications to such programmes elsewhere in the UK.”
