Rashielee Care Home is no stranger to success, previously securing the Care Home Service of the Year Award in the 2024 Scottish Care Awards.

Following her warm welcome by staff and residents, Nicola had the opportunity to tour the home to speak with the various nurses and care assistants, as well as other staff at the home. Struck by their incredible professionalism and passion for this often-overlooked area of nursing, Nicola expressed how positive it was to see such a cohesive and positive nursing team in action.

Following the visit, Nicola said:

“Care homes are too often portrayed as places where older people sit in circles, mindlessly waiting out their time. In the true spirit of Kirsty’s mantra of ‘care homes should be places where residents thrive’, it was an absolute privilege to see such uplifting care being delivered by the most inspiring nursing staff to the fantastic residents.

Getting to meet with our members in their workplaces is one of the highlights of my role, and seeing Kirsty and her team in action refuels my commitment to ensuring the voice of those working in care homes is never overlooked. Nursing staff in care homes look after some of the most vulnerable in our society and it is imperative that we value the contribution they make to the health and wellbeing of their residents.”

Passionate about raising the profile, and integral value, of care home nursing, Kirsty said:

“What a fantastic morning we had. Nicola is a warm hearted, nugget of nursing knowledge and experience. We had many laughs but also some serious conversations about the direction of nursing, and about ensuring nurses are brave enough to challenge poor practice. We spoke about the importance of seeing the person and we certainly witnessed this in Nicola’s conversation with Gina, one of the residents at Rashielee.”

Our 2025 Care Home Nursing Winner, Jennifer Carruthers, echoed this sentiment saying:

“I loved showcasing our care home and the skills of our staff. Nicola made me feel heard and supported in my profession. I feel she is very positive about changing the image of nursing and amplifying the voice of nurses.”

It's clear that Nicola’s visit not only meant a lot to the staff, with residents, including Gina Sloan, also being thankful for the RCN celebrating their home and a team they are truly appreciative of, saying:

“Nicola’s visit was such a laugh! We had a cup of tea and spoke about living in Rashielee and I was proud to show her my room. She was really nice and involved me in her conversations.”

The staff and residents also sent thanks to Barbara Sweeney, RCN Senior Officer, who accompanied Nicola, adding to the conversations and showing equal kindness to all she encountered.

You can read more about the Rashielee team and their success in our news stories about:

• Kirsty being named RCN Scotland Nurse of the Year 2025
• Kirsty’s initial win in our Clinical Leadership Award
• Jennifer’s win in our Care Home Nursing Award
• A blog about Namaste Care, featuring the Rashielee team and their positive outcomes