A student who designed resources to reassure patients and a team of colleagues pioneering a dementia care learning programme with the State Hospital have been recognised at the Scotland Nurse of the Year Awards.

Hosted by the Royal College of Nursing, the awards – which took place on 12 June 2025 – celebrate and highlight the dedication and outstanding professional care of nursing staff across Scotland.

A team of expert dementia educators from UWS’s Alzheimer Scotland Centre for Policy and Practice (ASCPP) – in collaboration with the State Hospital – won the Learning in Practice Award, while UWS adult nursing student, Fionnadh Ratchford, received a highly commended in the Nursing Student of the Year category. 

The Learning in Practice Award celebrates those who have demonstrated an in-depth understanding of the importance of learning and development. UWS’s ASCPP and the State Hospital worked together to produce a dementia education programme, focusing on the needs of people with dementia in the State Hospital, aligning with recommendations from the Scottish Government’s review of forensic mental health services.

The first-of-its-kind programme is tailored to the needs of forensic nursing staff, with experiential learning focusing on trauma-informed communication, support for personhood, and personalised care. Part of the project evaluates the effects of a co-developed education programme to support the care of people with dementia in a secure setting with research findings published to be accessible to all interested in the area. 

Anna Jack Waugh, Senior Lecturer within the ASCPP, said: “We’re absolutely delighted our dementia care programme team, including State Hospital colleagues, has won the Learning in Practice Award. Following the delivery of the dementia care learning programme, assessments have shown significant improvements in staff attitudes and knowledge regarding dementia, and three years on, some follow-up interviews confirmed the lasting positive impact on practice. The initiative is now being explored for wider implementation across Scotland through collaboration with The Forensic Network. We are all thrilled to see our work recognised in this way.”

The Nursing Student of the Year award recognises those who have shown exceptional promise during their professional education and practice placement, as well as outstanding achievement during their studies, including academic performance, clinical skill, teamwork or patient care during clinical placement. 

Described as an innovative student nurse, Fionnadh identified a gap in patient experience during her placement in NHS Ayrshire and Arran’s Day Surgery Unit, observing that patients often arrived late, lost, and anxious, negatively impacting both them and surgical schedules. 

Realising this could be improved, Fionnadh proposed the creation of an educational video to guide and reassure patients, which is now being considered for wider promotion via NHS digital platforms and social media. Fionnadh’s leadership in this project demonstrates her proactive mindset, commitment to patient care, and the value of student-led initiatives. Fionnadh’s efforts were recognised by the Council of the Deans of Health and her work was profiled in their 150 Leaders project and was covered in Nurse Education Today.

Discussing her highly commended recognition, Fionnadh said: “Student nurses rarely get an opportunity to lead on a project. None of this would have been possible without the support, belief and encouragement of my personal tutor, Lynne Gordon, and all the staff I met at UWS and NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

“I have had an amazing time at UWS and to be awarded highly commended in the Nursing Student of the Year category is truly amazing. UWS has provided me with an amazing foundation to begin my nursing career, with a range of opportunities afforded.”

Congratulations to both Fionnadh and Anna and colleagues for their success at the RCN Scotland Nurse of the Year Awards. The work being recognised here by all parties is incredibly inspiring and I am extremely proud to see it celebrated with these impressive accolades.

Julie Edgar, Dean of the School of Health and Life Sciences