Health Education North West has been judged the Partnership of the Year winner at the 2014 Student Nursing Times Awards

Health Education North West has been judged the Partnership of the Year winner at the 2014 Student Nursing Times Awards, held yesterday at the London Hilton on Park Lane.

The Student Quality Ambassador Project was praised by judges for the collaboration of 9 North West Universities and numerous NHS Trusts for their Partnership working to utilise healthcare students to share best practice and raise quality care. The project allows to students to be the “fresh eyes” to the environment and offer their views. The SQA project allows for the students “voices” to be heard and meets with the recommendations of Keogh (2013) who recognised that the inclusion of students to gain frank and honest opinions on the quality of care in Trusts promotes open and honest discussions. A further recommendation which the SQA project is able to meet is, Keogh (2013) “would strongly encourage Directors of Nursing to think about how they can harness the loyalty and innovation of student nurses, who move from ward to ward, so they become ambassadors for their hospital and for promoting innovative nursing practice.”

The awards are a perfect opportunity to support the whole student nursing profession and to celebrate the achievements of the student nurses shaping the future of nursing. This year has been a record breaking year with over 670 talented student nurses, education providers, and mentors in the room, 127 finalists on the shortlist and 18 deserving winners.

The Student Nursing Times Awards celebrates the very best in nurse education, recognises and rewards brilliant educational establishments and honours those who are committed to developing new nursing talent as mentors, lecturers and providers of placements. The awards also pay tribute to students who have demonstrated the academic achievement, clinical prowess and personal qualities that will make them brilliant nurses.

Nursing Times and Student Nursing Times Editor, Jenni Middleton commented:

The Student Nursing Times Awards are a fantastic celebration of student nurse education. It’s a chance for educators, students and those who support them on placement to showcase their skills. These awards celebrate those who have chosen to be the next generation of nursing talent, and those supporting them in that ambition, and I am immensely proud to see such a huge amount of expertise, compassion and passion for nursing at the awards. It does show the future of nursing is in very safe hands, as chief nursing officer for England Jane Cummings said in her speech at the event. All the finalists and winners have so much to be proud.