Skip to main content
Media centre

Teesside shortlisted in nursing awards for second consecutive year

02 April 2013

 

Teesside University has been shortlisted for the second year running in prestigious national nursing awards.

Rachel Morris, Senior Lecturer in the University’s School of Health & Social Care and Amanda Bain, a third year BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies (Adult) student, have both been shortlisted for top honours in the Student Nursing Times Awards 2013.

Rachel, who is nominated as Lecturer of the Year and Amanda as Student of the Year: Adult, are hoping to follow the success of last year’s two Teesside University winners in the same two categories.

Teesside was the only university to win two awards at the inaugural awards held last year, when Mark Wheatley, senior lecturer in the University’s School of Health & Social Care, was named Lecturer of the Year and Beccy Phillips named Student Nurse of the Year: Adult. This year’s Student Nursing Times Awards will be announced at a ceremony in London on Wednesday 1 May.

Rachel Morris, said: 'It’s a real honour and a very humbling experience to be nominated by student nurses, and I’m thrilled that the University has been recognised in this category for the second year running.'

Amanda, 40, of Newton Aycliffe, said: 'It feels amazing to be nominated, it was completely unexpected and I’m overwhelmed.'

The former child minder had always wanted to go into nursing, but waited until children Heather, 17, Samuel, 14 and Grace, 11, were older before deciding to pursue her ambition.

She added: 'I knew combining study with caring for a family would be demanding, but my husband Ian has been my rock. I couldn’t have done it without his support.

'There is also so much support from the University, which really prepares for a career in nursing. The clinical skills we learn and practical experience we gain during the degree and on placement really does help to provide real experience of what we can expect as a practitioner.'

Amanda recently became a Care Maker, as part of a new national network of student and newly qualified nurses who act as ambassadors for the professional values set out in the new nursing strategy for the NHS in England.

Teesside University has also been shortlisted for two further accolades, the Partnership of the Year award and Teaching Innovation of the Year award.

The partnership shortlisted for the award is working to develop the pre-registration nursing programme which commenced in September 2012 between the School of Health & Social Care and key stakeholders from local NHS/independent providers, including Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust and service users, carers and student nurses.

Jill Foley, Principal Lecturer/Programme Director for Pre-Registration Nursing, said: 'The nomination recognises the true partnership between the University and the local trusts and our shared focus and commitment to developing nurses who can provide the highest quality nursing care for patients and their families and carers. One of the main aims of the work is to develop students’ understanding of the service users' experience and how it can be enhanced.'

Rachel Duncan, Senior Lecturer in Nursing, leads the MSc Nursing which has been shortlisted for the Teaching Innovation of the Year award.

She said: 'The MSc Nursing is focused throughout on the user carer experience, teaching research methods from a participant rights perspective, rather than a research methods perspective. It’s great to get this external recognition for the University for something which initially blossomed from an informal chat with Russell Smeaton, from the University’s Department for Learning and Development, about how we could teach research in a more clinically relevant manner.'

Professor Paul Keane, OBE, Dean of the University’s School of Health & Social Care, said: 'Not only is this the second consecutive year that the University has been shortlisted in the categories for student and lecturer, we have also been shortlisted for a two further awards, which overall follows the journey from nursing student to postgraduate study. It’s deserved recognition for the team, who go the extra mile to inspire the nurses of the future, as well as clearly demonstrating the compassionate and caring qualities of a health care professional.'


Find out more about the Student Nursing Times Awards
 
 
Go to top menu