Practice-based learning is fundamental to maintaining the nursing workforce and creating a positive learning environment which allows nursing staff and students to develop and thrive.

Open to registered nurses, midwives and nursing support workers who demonstrate an innate understanding of the importance of learning and development, this award aims to recognise those who provide effective supervision and assessment, create high-quality learning environments, act as a role model and who build and maintain relationships to enable and support learning and development in the workplace.

Who could be nominated?

Nurses, midwives or nursing support workers who are engaged in supporting practice-based learning, disseminating innovative practice and have taken steps to create a positive learning environment for students and colleagues.

What was the criteria for consideration?

Each finalist must clearly demonstrate:

• effective leadership in creating a positive learning environment
• a positive impact on the clinical practice, confidence and professionalism of the individuals being supported, supervised or assessed
• a commitment to person-centred care, innovation and delivering high quality services that make a difference to the people receiving care
• the positive impact of their research, service transformation or innovation for service users, families and colleagues
• the use of a credible evidence base and or developing an evidence base to underpin the work for which they are being nominated
• how their work contributes to the delivery of local and national policy and strategy within health and social care.

If you have any questions or queries regarding the awards, please get in touch by emailing scotlandnurseawards@rcn.org.uk

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The nominations process closed on 14 November 2025 and following our judging process, three finalists have been selected:

• Karen Bacon, Clinical Nurse Educator / Charge Nurse, Intensive Care Unit, NHS Borders
• Laura Reid, Lead Practice Educator, NHS Grampian and Professional Lead for North of Scotland NMAHP International Recruitment
• Vicky Burnett, Practice Educator, NHS Grampian

You can read more below about why our judges feel these finalists represent the #BestOfNursing in Scotland.

The winners will be announced at our glittering awards ceremony at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh on 30 April.

Clinical Nurse Educator/Charge Nurse
Intensive Care Unit, NHS Borders

With over 20 years’ experience at NHS Borders, Karen established and lead the ICU Clinical Nurse Educator role, building a comprehensive education and training programme based on the CC3N National Step Competency Framework, fostering a strong culture of learning, psychological safety, and person-centred care. Through innovative teaching, mentorship, and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams and other Scottish ICUs, Karen has also tailored education to staff needs and supported access to postgraduate critical care qualifications - championing protected study time and personalised development plans. The impact has been substantial, with appropriately trained ICU nurses increasing from 28% to 80%, Band 5 attrition falling from 16% to 2.67%, and recruitment, retention, and staff confidence improving significantly. Karen’s leadership has created a skilled, motivated workforce delivering safe, high-quality, compassionate critical care.

Lead Practice Educator, NHS Grampian and Professional Lead for North of Scotland NMAHP International Recruitment

Laura has been nominated for widening participation in nursing by developing innovative learning and development pathways that engage young people with healthcare careers from an early age, particularly those from socially deprived communities across Grampian. Through strong collaboration with primary and secondary schools, third sector partners, and local stakeholders, she has embedded healthcare-focused learning into the curriculum using simulation, problem-based learning, and meta-skills development to build confidence, aspiration, and career readiness. Key initiatives include the creation of a purpose-built Healthcare+ learning environment within schools, structured Autumn School programmes, mentoring, and staged clinical simulation experiences that expose young people to the breadth of healthcare careers. The impact has been significant, with clinical foundation apprenticeships increasing from 8 to over 100 in one year, further growth in clinical apprenticeships, and increasing numbers of young people progressing into healthcare roles and undergraduate nursing programmes. 

Practice Educator
NHS Grampian

Vicky has been nominated for transforming learning environments across healthcare teams. She creates psychologically safe, inclusive spaces where staff and students feel valued, empowered, and supported to develop confidence, professionalism, and high-quality compassionate care. Responding to concerns about team culture and incivility, Vicky led a transparent, participatory process, using baseline assessments, workshops, and team-owned action plans to drive sustainable cultural change. In the Bowel and Bladder Specialist Service, Vicky safeguarded essential national education resources, updating them to align with local policies, guidelines, and evidence, and ensured their availability on Turas for national use. She also established a Leading Person-Centred Cultures and Care community of practice, increasing practitioner confidence in applying innovative development methods. Her dedication, integrity, and innovative leadership have created lasting positive impacts on staff, students, and service delivery, exemplifying excellence in education and person-centred care.

Whilst our 2026 finalists await to find out the results at our award ceremony on 30 April 2026, read about our previous winners of this category and what made them stand out as the #BestOfNursing in Scotland's practice based learning sector.