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The awards recognise the very best nursing and midwifery education providers and students across the UK. This year saw the University, which is one of the largest providers of nursing and midwifery undergraduate education in the north, shortlisted 20 times, across an exceptionally high number of categories.

The University’s Nursing Associate programme was one of the big winners of the afternoon, not only claiming victory in the prestigious “Nursing Associate Training Programme Provider of the Year” category, but also winning the “Teaching Innovation of the Year” award for the team’s groundbreaking work to introduce podcasting as a new assessment tool.

The programme focuses on equipping learners with essential skills for the evolving healthcare landscape, prioritising student success and satisfaction; a focus which sees it get consistently high ratings in the National Student Survey (NSS). Since 2017, programme leaders have expanded the reach of the course, attracting apprentices as well as direct-entry students.

In another success for the programme, Nursing Associate student, Phoebe Hall, was awarded “Student Nursing Associate of the Year”. Phoebe won praise for her commitment to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health and contributions to elevating healthcare standards. Judges were blown away by her wealth of knowledge, saying she truly encapsulates everything a nursing associate should be.

Away from the Nursing Associate programme, the University was also recognised in the “Student Placement of the Year: Community” category where Dr Melanie Stephens and team were named winners for their work to develop, implement and evaluate an interprofessional student placement. This project saw students from nursing, sports rehabilitation and diverse allied health professions placed in care homes, where they worked and learned collaboratively with care home staff and residents to address residents’ goals and promote person-centred, collaborative care.

The final winner of the afternoon for the University was Natalie Griffin, an Advanced Clinical Practitioner Student at the ��������, who works at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust. Natalie won the “Learner of the Year – Post-Registration” award. Natalie co-led the innovative “COPD, My Heart and Me” project, addressing gaps in care for COPD patients at risk of acute cardiac events. The project showcased Natalie’s great dedication to advancing patient care and personal growth in her career.

Karen Heggs, Director of Nursing and Midwifery at the ��������, said: “The team had a great afternoon at the Student Nursing Times Awards and it was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the hard work and dedication of our entire directorate team.

“We received an incredible number of shortlisted nominations this year, and to come away with five awards is fantastic. Our teams absolutely go above and beyond to give students the best possible experience, constantly evolving and innovating in the way we do things, and it’s wonderful to see such recognition of this work.”

Professor Vicky Halliwell, Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the School of Health and Society at the ��������, added: “I’m incredibly proud of our wonderful staff and students who make such a valuable contribution to our university – it was fantastic to be at the awards to support and celebrate with you. The competition was fierce and just to be shortlisted is such a great achievement. Congratulations to you all.”