University celebrates eight finalists in national healthcare awards

Excellence in delivering healthcare at the University of Chester is being celebrated with eight shortlisting places for prestigious national awards. 

The University has reached the finals for an incredible eight Student Nursing Times Awards which highlight greatness in all specialties of student nursing. The awards also provide the opportunity to congratulate the lecturers, practice supervisors, universities, trusts and private organisations providing the best support for student nurses during their studies. 

The University has reached the finals in the following categories: 

• Student Placement of the Year Community- Enabling Effective Learning Environments (EELE) Leadership Expansion Project 

The Leadership Placement Expansion Project is a workstream within the Enabling Effective Learning Environments (EELE) programme, working across Cheshire and Merseyside. The EELE programme is hosted by the University and the overall philosophy of this NHS England funded project is to expand practice learning opportunities available for students undertaking pre-registration healthcare programmes, including Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals. This placement provides learners with leadership and multi-professional experiences and leading a change management. 

• Teaching Innovation of the Year – Preparation for Practice (LPL)

The Lecturers in Practice Learning (LPLs), with the Practice Education and Simulation Learning Division have devised an innovative programme of support for pre-registration nurses in their first year of study – the Preparation-for-Practice Programme. This focuses on supporting the development of enhancing a practice learning pedagogy as a consistent thread, throughout the curriculum. The programme has received extremely positive feedback from participating learners and evaluation cites the positive impact it is having on learners when preparing for placement, whilst helping to retain learners on programme.

• Teaching Innovation of the Year – Podcast Series: Your First of Everything

‘Your First of Everything’ is a series of limited-edition video podcasts with guests ranging from student nurses, student midwives, Directors of Nursing, University lecturers and other professionals who share their ‘first experiences’ from practice or from higher education. Some of these experiences may be emotionally compelling and others are more light-hearted, with a positive outcome. As a teaching tool, the podcasts have been evaluated as positively impacting the development of reflective practice and as a resource to support the development of preparation for practice for pre-registration learners.

• Nursing Education provider of the Year (Post-Registration) – OSCA-Social

The Outreach Skills Clinic for Assessment – Social (OSCA-S) project aims to embed simulation-based practice learning, education and assessment opportunities across Cheshire and Merseyside for Social Care staff and enhance existing opportunities for clinical skills development and knowledge. It does this by creating safe, accessible, simulated learning environments for participants to be formatively assessed in the attainment of agreed procedural skills as presented in regulatory standards, for example, the NMC (2018) Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses, including Skills Annexes from which they can then complete competencies within their organisation.

• Student Nurse of the Year (Adult) – Claire Snelling (EELE Corp Placement)

Claire was nominated following the successful completion of a leadership placement, within the Targeted Practice Education Programme (TPEP) team. Claire quickly established herself as a valued member of the team excelling in all elements of her professional values and contributing towards enhancing quality placements for students. In addition to demonstrating innovative practice by identifying an area for improvement within AI practice learning, she provided a clear plan for implementation as part of the corporate placement project and presented this to the Cheshire and Merseyside Practice Learning Collaborative. 

• Student Nurse of the Year (Learning Disabilities) – Gail Rathbone

Gail has been leading on an initiative since her second year of study developing Awareness Cards to support clinicians in practice to communicate effectively and thoughtfully with any client who may have a Learning Disability or any communication challenges. She has worked with her whole cohort to develop the Awareness Cards and has managed to secure funding for the innovation project from NHS England. She independently sourced a printing provider to produce the cards and developed a distribution plan with the first 250 cards being distributed between University of Chester student nurses and clinical staff. She has designed feedback for the Awareness Cards to develop the project further after the first phase of roll-out and to support additional funding requests in the future. Gail has shown determination, passion and diligence throughout the project and this innovation will mean real world improvements for any client who may have communication difficulties or a Learning Disability.

• Nursing Apprenticeship Provider of the Year

Since 2019. the University has provided an apprenticeship for Trainee Nursing Associates, followed by Registered Nurses. This provision has been pivotal to supporting the local workforce planning and development as well as offering health and social care employees opportunities to develop a career within nursing. The Trainee Nursing Associate apprenticeship has seen trainees securing national recognition for their work as well as teaching staff publishing books, undertaking research and working closely with people who have lived-experience.

This nomination now recognises the hard work and partnership working that the apprenticeship department, the programme team, the trainees and employers have undertaken to ensure this provision continues to deliver excellence across the nursing apprenticeship provision.

• Personalised Care Interprofessional Education Network (PerCIE)

PerCIE is a growing partnership across over 30 UK HEI’s, The group meets monthly to provide a collegial platform for debate and action that supports the generation of new socially connected learning opportunities for students in non-NHS contexts. Over the past two years it has attracted national and international attention with the work included in the National Personalised Care Institute and led to consultation with national groups working to support socially prescribed environments. Dr Kate Knight, Head of Practice Education and Simulated Learning and Associate Dean, Professor Vicky Ridgway from the University are of the steering group of this Network.

The winners will be announced on Friday, April 26 at a ceremony in central London bringing together the nursing and midwifery community to shine a light on the brightest talent making their way into the profession.  

Professor Angela Simpson, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Society, said:

“This is an incredible result for our students and colleagues who are so very dedicated to their studies and work. I am thrilled to see them recognised in this way and wish them all the very best of luck at the finals in April.”