University shortlisted for Student Nursing Times Award

Lisa Ford, Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, Sport and Health Sciences, has been shortlisted in the Student Nursing Times Awards 2025 for an innovative placement project delivered with apprentice learners.

The ‘Welcome to our World (WOW) Project: a collaborative approach to developing a novel practice learning experience for Registered Nurse Degree Apprentice (RNDA) (Child) students’ has been recognised for its ground-breaking approach to student learning and is shortlisted in the ‘Student Placement of the Year – Community’ category.

Tackling local placement capacity challenges

The WOW placement model was developed by Lisa as a response to local placement capacity challenges and to explore new and exciting ways to provide practice learning for our undergraduate child nursing students. Crucially, the project also sought to incorporate the invaluable lived experience of university colleagues and their families who have children and young people with complex health needs.

As part of the WOW placement model, RNDA students are connected with a family for an eight-week period. During this time, students make weekly visits to the family home and engage in self-directed learning activities, including a quality improvement project developed in partnership with the child and family. Student learning is indirectly supervised and assessed in line with Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) standards, contributing towards their required practice learning hours.

On the nomination, Lisa Ford said: “I am thrilled that the WOW project has been shortlisted for this award, and delighted that the team have been recognised for their commitment and hard work in developing a novel approach to practice learning.

“This recognition highlights the power of collaboration, innovation, and making a real difference. The positive impact on the lives of service users and the apprentice students is inspiring, and I am proud to see our efforts contributing to a sustainable future in practice learning for children’s nursing.”

Positive impact

The impact of the WOW project has been overwhelmingly positive, with both students and families reporting a highly rewarding experience. One student commented: “It provided excellent opportunities to enhance my autonomous skills as well as work collaboratively with both other apprentices, with the family and young person being at the centre of this placement.”

Families also appreciated the chance to share their experiences with student nurses. One parent shared: “I think that the student has gained a lot of knowledge from this placement, with a much wider understanding of what it is like for families having children and young people with complex needs.”

Angela Glynn, Dean of the School of Education, Sport and Health Sciences, said: ” This shortlisting is a testament to the power of collaboration between students, service users, and the university. The WOW project demonstrates how innovative partnerships can create valuable new practice learning opportunities for child nursing students in our local area.

“I want to say a huge congratulations to Lisa and to our fantastic apprentice learners for their work delivering this initiative, and wish them the very bust of luck.”

Live judging

Lisa and other shortlisted nominees will present their projects to a panel of judges on Tuesday 25 March. The winners will be announced at the Student Nursing Times Awards ceremony on Friday 2 May 2025, at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

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