RCM Student Midwife Award success for Swansea’s Annmarie

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Swansea University Midwifery student Annmarie Thomas (pictured below) has been named as the winner of this year’s Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Student Midwife Award.

Annmarie Thomas RCM Student Midwife of the YearYear three College of Human and Health Sciences student Annmarie, aged 34, from Cefn Cribwr, Bridgend, received her award along with other winners at this year’s RCM Annual Midwifery Awards, which were held earlier this month at the Brewery in London.

The RCM Student Midwife Award seeks to recognise a student midwife or small group of students who has/have made an exceptional contribution to the student community.

Recipients of this award must have shown consistent dedication within their role and demonstrated a strong commitment to midwifery and the RCM.

The judges were looking for an individual who contributes to the improvement of the student experience while studying midwifery; acts as an advocate and role model for fellow students; and contributes extra time and effort to midwifery through commitment to the RCM or the development of a Midwifery Society.

Honour and recognition

Annmarie, who is the founder of the University’s Student Midwifery Society, said: “I’m still in complete shock!  But I’m really honoured to get such recognition for doing something I enjoy so much.

“I received my award from Denise Linay, RCM Head of Organising and Engagement. I’ve never won a trophy before and it’s a pretty impressive one.

“The RCM awards day itself was a fantastic experience and a recognition that I share with the whole Midwifery lecturing team, who attended the awards with me, along with my husband Allan. I have had such amazing support as a student, which has prepared me as I enter my role as a newly-qualified midwife.

“My clinical placements have allowed me to work with some amazing midwifery mentors across the ABMU health board. I am really looking forward to becoming their colleague when I qualify in September.”

Courageous and skilful

Susanne Darra, Associate Professor and Head of Midwifery Education and Lead Midwife for Education (LME) at the College of Human and Health Sciences, said: “We are extremely proud of Annmarie, one of our year three BMid (Hons) Midwifery students, for winning the prestigious UK wide award of RCM Student Midwife of the Year.

“Annmarie has worked tirelessly throughout her programme to develop her midwifery skills and to offer excellent care to women and their families from all backgrounds across South and West Wales.

“She is always the first to put herself forward for any initiatives and extra-curricular activities, despite having a family and a very busy personal life.  As part of this Annmarie ‘gave birth’ to the Swansea University Student Midwifery Society and has helped other students throughout Wales to set up similar societies.

“She has been an outstanding student representative, providing a student perspective in curriculum development and helping with projects such as the successful launch of the All Wales Pre-Qualifying Skills Passport.

“Annmarie is a courageous and skilful person who should be very proud of her achievement in becoming RCM Student Midwife of the Year; she is likely to be able to use these attributes to even better effect when she becomes a qualified midwife this summer.”

Annemarie has also been shortlisted for this year’s Edith Cavell Nurses’ Trust ‘Outstanding Student Midwife Award’.  The winner will be announced at a ceremony on Friday, April 1.


Image: Annmarie Thomas of Swansea University, the winner of the 2015 Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Student Midwife Award. Image used with the kind permission of the RCM.