Your web browser is outdated and may be insecure

The RCN recommends using an updated browser such as Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome

NOTY-2025-Web-Header

Nursing Student of the Year

RCN Scotland Nurse of the Year Awards

Becoming a registered nurse/midwife is the culmination of years of study, hard work and dedication. Students must attain both clinical and academic competence in their chosen field of practice to graduate and secure their registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

About the award

Open to pre-registration nursing and midwifery students in Scotland. This award aims to recognise those who have shown exceptional promise during their professional education and/or practice placement. Nominees for this award will deserve recognition for exceptional achievement during their studies. This could be academic performance, clinical skill, teamwork or outstanding patient care during clinical placement. 

Who can be nominated?

The nominee must be a student nurse or student midwife studying in Scotland at the time of nomination.

Criteria:

The nominee should clearly demonstrate:

  • that they have made significant difference and embodied the best of nursing in their chosen field during their studies
  • exceptional achievement during their years of study
  • the use of a credible evidence base and/or developing an evidence base to underpin the work for which they are being nominated
  • a commitment and passion for the nursing or midwifery profession.
 

2317-RCN-Nurse-of-the-Year-Awards-2025-Twitter-Posts10-AW

Please note you will not be able to save the form, it must be completed in one go. We recommend that you draft and edit your entry in a separate document then copy and paste it into this entry form. This should reduce the risk of submissions being lost. Please do not use colons, ampersands or arrows when completing the form, as it will not submit correctly.

When your nomination has been successfully submitted you will receive a confirmation email – if you do not receive this, it means we have not received your nomination. In this case please contact the Nurse of the Year team on 0131 662 6173 or scotlandnurseawards@rcn.org.uk to resolve. 

Entries will be accepted from nursing staff nominating themselves or their own team or can be submitted on behalf of another nurse, midwife, nursing support worker or nursing team. Non-nursing colleagues such as managers or consultants may also nominate their nursing colleagues for an award.

Nominees do not need to be a member of the Royal College of Nursing. 

Section 1 - Before completing your nomination

Stage one of the judging process involves judges shortlisting entries based solely on the information you have provided here, so please make sure your entry includes as much evidence as possible.

In stage two, shortlisted entrants will be invited to discuss their work with our panel of judges. This will be held via Teams during March/April.

Section 2 - Your details

Section 3 - Nominee details (if entering on behalf of someone else)

Section 4 – Team details (if entering on behalf of a team)

Section 5 - Reason for nomination

Please evidence how your nominee meets the award criteria which are available at www.rcn.org.uk/ScotAwards. Please give your entry a title and include the following sections: key aims – what did you set out to achieve and why, key roles – who was involved, how did they contribute, challenges – did you face any and how were these overcome, and finally evaluation – how did you measure and demonstrate impact, details of sharing learning.

Judges are looking for a commitment and passion for nursing – please give specific examples and as much detail as possible within the word limits.


Please explain what you/your nominee set out to achieve and why; how you/they used an evidence base to support; the key roles and collaboration – who was involved, contribution and how others were engaged to achieve success; challenges – did you/your nominee face any and how were these overcome.
Please include details about how you/your nominee measured and demonstrated positive impact for patients, clients, families and colleagues; details of sharing learning; how your/their work contributes to national health and care policy and strategy.

Section 6 - How did you hear about the RCN Scotland Nurse of the Year awards?


By submitting this form, you are giving the RCN permission to contact you about your submission.

You can control the information you receive from the RCN by updating your preferences at MyRCN.

The information you provide in this form will be stored by the RCN.

Protecting your privacy is very important to us. Please view our privacy policy to find out more about the information we collect and how it is used.

What makes a winner

Read more about our previous category winners below:

Chloe Jackson (2024)

Former Nursing Student
Robert Gordon University

Throughout her studies, Chole aimed to support her nursing student colleagues and the future nursing workforce through various platforms such as a nursing podcast, a nursing blog, and a new project called SUNN (Support and Understanding for Neurodivergent Nurses). A neurodivergent student nurse herself, Chloe challenged discrimination and misunderstanding faced by neurodivergent nurses in practice, founding SUNN to provide support and understanding for neurodivergent nurses. The initiative aims to improve the nursing profession by creating a more inclusive environment and enhancing patient care. She plans to disseminate her initiative through her podcast and blog, aiming to bring about meaningful change in the nursing profession. Her nominators credit the support she provided in helping them to overcome many challenges with their learning and wellbeing.

N-Student-Chloe

Lois Gaffney (2022)

Former Student (Now working as Staff Nurse), The Open University

Described by her practice assessor as an inspirational role model, Lois studies nursing on her home island of Shetland through the Open University. She was inspired to become a nurse after working as a health care support worker. Showing initiative from the outset, when her assessor suggested learning atrial fibrillation on her next shift, she turned up having prepared a research piece detailing not only the workings and electrical activity of the heart but how to read an ECG. She was nominated for the Student Leadership Programme run by the Council of Deans, and now regularly supports other students virtually to change mind sets from ‘What if I fall?’ to ‘What if I fly?’. With a keen interest in neurology and recognising the limitations of opportunities on a small island, Lois applied for funding to travel to Glasgow for a placement and has already brought back her learning to her rural setting. Lois joined her NHS board Chief Executive to present a livestream on student nursing in remote and rural areas to encourage others to take up nursing as a career and has been supporting colleagues through her role on the Nurse Workforce Wellbeing Group of NES. Her aim is to connect students and create support hubs which look after both academic and emotional needs. Back on the ward, Lois is championing patient movement to reduce lengthy hospital stays and also recently produced a toolkit on respiratory care which is already being applauded as a valuable teaching resource for the whole team.

Lois Gaffney

Help us to promote the awards

Why not print off one of our posters and pop it up in your workplace to encourage others to submit a nomination and join us in celebrating the #BestOfNursing in Scotland

RCN Scotland Nurse of the Year Awards 2024

Page last updated - 03/02/2025