Nursing student shortlisted for two prestigious awards

Nursing student Bethan Jones is up for two prestigious awards thanks to her dedication and commitment to the profession. 

The 25-year-old, who attends The University of Leicester, has been shortlisted for two categories by the Nursing Times – Student Nurse of the Year for Children and Student Nurse or Midwife of the Year for Clinical Research.

The awards shine a light on the brightest talent making their way into the profession, highlighting excellence in all specialities of student nursing. Winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony in London on Friday (28 April) at the Marriott Grosvenor Hotel on Park Lane. 

Bethan was nominated by Nursing Lecturer, Jeni Senior, who said of the star student: “Bethan is intelligent, articulate, innovative, enthusiastic, compassionate and hard working. 

“She supports her peers, submits strong assignments, and receives outstanding feedback from all clinical placement assessors. Her patients all provide positive feedback regarding her care for them.”

Her nomination said that Bethan had managed an online support network for student nurses, securing educational resources and sponsorship. Not only that but she had developed and piloted her own research placement at Leicester Partnership Trust (LPT), paving the way for others to follow in her footsteps and is soon to present her experiences to its board of directors to make the case for future  student involvement in research areas. She is also set to present her experiences at the Royal College of Nursing Conference later this year. 

Bethan’s nomination added that she was a member of the Leicester Clinical Academic Practitioner Network and was developing a student section of its annual conference to assist and encourage others to get involved in research throughout their career. 

Jeni said: “We are proud of everything she has achieved so far in developing her career and look forward to watching her develop as a registered nurse in her chosen field.” 

Bethan, who also has a Biological Science degree from the University, said: “I’m really proud to have been shortlisted in both categories out of hundreds of other people. It’s quite overwhelming when you think that you’re up against so many. I’m really excited about going down to London. The course at Leicester really encourages you to develop leadership skills and because of my background in biological science, research has always appealed to me. 

“I hope to be an Advanced Nurse Practitioner one day and develop my skills even further.”