‌Heulwen Morgan-Samuel (pictured top left), Senior Lecturer in Nursing, is shortlisted for the ‘Educator of the Year’ award.

Students Suzannah Wilton-Baker (pictured top right), aged 23, from Lampeter, Tynam Payne (pictured middle left), aged 22, from Llanelli, and Kirsty Jones (pictured middle right), aged 29, from Pwll in Carmarthenshire, are shortlisted for the ‘Student Nurse of the Year: Adult’ award.

Student Angharad Hughes, aged 25, from Gorseinon, is shortlisted for the ‘Student Nurse of the Year: Children’ award.‌

And the University is also shortlisted for the ‘Return to Practice Course of the Year’ award and will be represented by Keith Bradley-Adams and Elaine Jones, Senior Lecturers in Nursing (pictured bottom left).

Record breaking year for entries

Simone Bedford, Senior Lecturer in Nursing, who is based at the College’s satellite campus at St David’s Park, Carmarthen, was instrumental in collating and submitting the University’s nominations for the prestigious annual awards, which have had a recording breaking year with more than 400 talented student nurses, education providers, and mentors entering.  

Finalists will now present to members of the 34-strong panel of esteemed educational professionals including:

• Dr Theresa Shaw – Foundation of Nursing Studies
• Ian Norris –Royal College of Nursing
• Hazel Watson – NHS England
• Dr Peter Carter – Royal College of Nursing
• Mary Crawford – Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, King’s College London

Great achievement

Dr Pauline Griffiths, Head of the Department of Nursing in the College of Human and Health Sciences, said: “We’re delighted to be shortlisted in the Student Nursing Times Awards again this year; it is a great achievement for the College. To have four students and a staff member nominated is fantastic, and goes to show the calibre of our student and staff body.

“It is also wonderful to be involved in bringing nurses back to practice on our Return to Practice course, to try and relieve some of the pressures that our health care environments are currently facing.

“We’re really proud of all our successful nominees, and wish them all the very best.  I have my fingers firmly crossed for the awards ceremony!”

Celebrating the very best

The Student Nursing Times Awards celebrate the very best in nurse education, recognise and reward excellent educational establishments and honour those who are committed to developing new nursing talent as mentors, lecturers and providers of placements. The awards also pay tribute to students who have demonstrated the academic achievement, clinical prowess and personal qualities that will make them brilliant nurses.

The Swansea finalists will travel to London on Monday, March 23, when they will have the opportunity to speak with the judges about their nominations.

The winners of this year’s awards will be announced on Thursday, May 7, at the London Hilton, Park Lane, where over 650 nurse education professionals, student nurses and nurse leaders will gather to reward the students and establishments shaping the future of nursing.

A full list of this year’s finalists and more information on the Student Nursing Times Awards can be found here.