To assist in creating a nomination that will stand out before submitting online, why not try our nominator help sheet for this award.

Nominees for this award will be one of the following:

Children’s nurses meet the health needs of children and young people. They play a key role in assessing children's nursing needs and other healthcare needs, considering their medical, social, cultural and family circumstances. They then plan and deliver care in a variety of settings, within hospitals, hospices and in the wider community. In addition to supporting children and young people, children’s nurses work with families as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Midwives play a lead role in supporting pregnant women and new mothers. They practise in both hospital and community settings. Midwives are involved in all aspects of antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care. They are skilled at supporting new and prospective parents.

About the award: This award aims to recognise a Registered Nurse or Registered Midwife who has made an outstanding contribution to the care of children, young people or the midwifery care of mothers-to-be/ parent/s.

WHO CAN BE NOMINATED?

 Either a Registered Nurse or Registered Midwife who are working in the paediatric field:

• Working at any level within a clinical role or managing clinical services in Wales.
• Practising in any sector for example: NHS, Independent Health and Social Care Sector, Third Sector, or Local Authority.
• Diversity in nominees is encouraged to reflect the workforce in Wales.

CRITERIA

A nominee should be able to show that:

1. They actively promote public health and encourage healthy living for the families or communities they work with.
2. Shows a strong passion for children’s rights and is willing to speak up for them.
3. Their work follows national health and social care policy and strategy.
4. Through strong leadership, they have contributed to a new and original development that has made a real difference to people receiving care.
5. They use evidence to support their work, or they are helping to build an evidence base for the project they are nominated for.
6. They can show that the service or innovation they are nominated for has a safe and effective governance framework.
7. Their work has clearly benefited patients, clients, families and colleagues.
8. They have made a positive impact on safe and effective care, demonstrated through service evaluation, patient feedback or other methods.
9. They show passion and commitment for the nursing profession, consistently goes the extra mile and maintains a positive, “can‑do” attitude.

PLEASE NOTE THAT NOMINATIONS WILL BE SCORED INDIVIDUALLY USING EACH OF THE ABOVE CRITERIA POINTS.

What makes a winning entry? - top tips to make you nomination stand out from the crowd!

Please read the nomination guidance note before beginning your submission. We have created some examples of excellent nominations to give you an understanding of the detail needed to make your nomination shine. You can also watch our guidance video 'Writing the perfect nomination for RCN Wales Nurse of the Year' for some top tips for making sure your nomination wows the judging panel.

• Tell us why you are nominating this person. A minimum of 300 words will be requested to explain your nomination, up to a 500-word limit for your submission. The more detailed you are the better so make full use of the word count given to you!
• Start with their success: What’s the headline? What are you proud of? Start with the attention-grabbing success to hook the judges immediately 
• When writing your 500 words, please refer to the award criteria for the category you are nominating for and hit each point mentioned by providing solid evidence. that way, you’ll increase your chances of your nomination being shortlisted!
• Please tell us specifically how your nominee has gone over and above the requirements of their role, and/or how they have made significant contributions to their field of work.
• Lastly but not least, check your spelling and grammar! Professionalism and care are equally as important in your nominations! Spell out any acronyms to be as clear to the judges as possible, don’t make any assumptions that they know what you’re talking about!

We also encourage patient nominations; we want to hear about how your experience of excellent nursing care has touched your lives. This could be yourself, a family member or someone who is making a difference in your local community!  Contact RCN Wales if you would like help in choosing a category to nominate. NurseoftheYearAwards@rcn.org.uk

Diversity in nominees is encouraged to reflect the workforce in Wales across all areas of nursing; Independent Health and Social Care Sector, Third Sector, NHS, or Local Authority.