This award, sponsored by Anderson Strathern, aims to recognise an exceptional clinical leader who, by inspiring others, has made a significant difference to service delivery and quality of care.
Nominated for her compassion and dedication to excellence in care home nursing, Kirsty’s leadership is rooted in advocacy, empowerment, and a commitment to justice. She champions the value of care home nursing, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement at Rashielee Care Home. Her leadership has transformed the care home into a thriving, inclusive environment where residents, families, and staff feel valued and supported. Kirsty’s person-centred approach fosters a positive workplace culture, ensures high staff retention, and strengthens the perception of care homes as vital spaces for compassionate, high-quality nursing.
The judges praised Kirsty’s openness to have discussions about, in her words, ‘the good, the bad, and the ugly’ which fosters an environment of supportive conversations. Head Judge, Eileen McKenna, said: “We were particularly impressed that through challenging the stigma often faced by care home nursing, Kirsty demonstrated a clear drive to ensure that her team always feel valued and supported for the excellent nursing staff they are. She doesn’t focus on what went wrong, she drives improvement by working with staff to see how everyone can work differently, mentoring staff to ensure everyone is always learning.”
Congratulating Kirsty on her win, Colin Poolman, RCN Scotland Executive Director, said: “A good nursing leader inspires and motivates, advocating for both patients and staff, and is prepared to speak up on behalf of the nursing profession. It was evident from her nomination that Kirsty demonstrates all these values, and her team value her leadership. Truly an inspirational nurse leader.”
Congratulations also go to runner up Gillian McAuley, Nurse Director Acute in NHS Lothian, and our highly commended Marie Hurson, Lead Cardiac Nurse Specialist in NHS Shetland.
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