Queen’s celebrates double success at national nursing awards

Professor Kenda Crozier, Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Queen's is pictured (second from left), accepting the ‘Best Student Experience’ award for Ambition to Success, at the Student Nursing Times Awards in London recently.

Queen’s University Belfast has claimed two major national honours at one of the UK’s most prestigious student nursing award ceremonies, with judges praising the university’s “real world impact” and students’ passion for changing lives.

The School of Nursing & Midwifery secured the coveted ‘Best Student Experience’ title at this year’s Student Nursing Times Awards, while Queen’s student Louise Bradford was named ‘Student Nurse of the Year: Learning Disabilities’.

The recognition places Queen’s firmly in the spotlight at a time when learning disability nursing courses across parts of the UK are facing declining applications, making the university’s success particularly significant for Northern Ireland’s future healthcare workforce.

National recognition for student leadership programme

The School of Nursing & Midwifery took top honours in the ‘Best Student Experience’ category for its Ambition to Success programme — an extracurricular initiative aimed at second and third-year pre-registration nursing and midwifery students.

The programme focuses on developing leadership, advocacy and innovation skills among future healthcare professionals, giving students opportunities beyond traditional classroom learning.

Participants attend monthly workshops led by industry leaders while also working together on collaborative projects which culminate in a final presentation event.

The initiative also offers personalised mentorship and coaching designed to prepare students for leadership roles within healthcare settings.

Judges were particularly struck by the wider social impact of the programme and the opportunities students received outside standard academic settings.

Award organisers noted that “the panel was extremely impressed with the real world impact of the health promotion activities that the students at Queen’s had undertaken” and felt “the exposure and opportunities given to students to civil and political change makers, beyond the classroom was inspiring.”

Student from County Down honoured nationally

Queen’s Nursing student, Louise Bradford from Dromore, County Down, is pictured (centre) accepting the award for ‘Student Nurse of the Year: Learning Disabilities’, at the Student Nursing Times Awards in London recently.

Alongside the university-wide success, Queen’s student Louise Bradford from Dromore, County Down, was recognised nationally after winning ‘Student Nurse of the Year: Learning Disabilities’.

Judges said Louise “greatly impressed” the panel “with her enthusiasm” and praised the commitment she showed when discussing support for people with learning disabilities and their families.

They added that “her passion, determination and commitment shone through.”

Speaking after receiving the award, Louise described the recognition as “an absolute privilege”.

She said:

“Receiving this award was an absolute privilege and I am so proud to be able to make even a small change within Learning Disability Nursing and be an advocate for the individuals I support within my practice.”

The achievement shines a light on the critical role learning disability nurses play across health and social care services, supporting some of society’s most vulnerable individuals and families.

Queen’s says awards reflect wider impact

Professor Judy Williams, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students at Queen’s, said the awards reflected the strength of innovation and values-led education taking place within the university’s School of Nursing & Midwifery.

She said:

“This is a wonderful accomplishment for the School of Nursing & Midwifery at Queen’s, and I congratulate everyone involved on these outstanding achievements.

“To receive national recognition at the Student Nursing Times Awards is a tremendous triumph and a real testament to the innovation, dedication and impact of the work taking place across the School.

“Winning Best Student Experience for Ambition to Success is particularly inspiring, reflecting the transformative opportunities being created for students and the strong values-led approach to nursing education at Queen’s.

“The judges’ comments speak volumes about the leadership, civic engagement and professional identity being nurtured through the programme.”

Learning disability nursing ‘more important than ever’

Professor Kenda Crozier, Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Queen’s, said the awards highlighted both the quality of students emerging from the programme and the growing importance of learning disability nursing.

She said Louise was “a shining example of a student who cares deeply about the people in her care”.

Professor Crozier added:

“Both these awards are a fantastic achievement for the School.

“Our Learning Disability Nursing students are prepared for a huge variety of roles across health and social care, and they impact the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

“Louise is a shining example of a student who cares deeply about the people in her care, and we are delighted to see her honoured in this way.

“She has also benefited from being part of the Ambition to Success programme, through which she developed the leadership and advocacy skills which also impressed the panel.

“We are proud of our Learning Disability Nursing programme at Queen’s which is recruiting strongly despite the downturn in applications to such programmes elsewhere in the UK.”

The double award success comes as universities and healthcare providers continue to face increasing pressure to attract and retain the next generation of nurses and midwives across the UK.

For Queen’s, the national recognition not only celebrates student achievement, but also reinforces the university’s growing reputation for producing healthcare professionals equipped to lead, advocate and respond to complex challenges facing modern health and social care services.