Student midwife shortlisted for prestigious award
Bea Gardner
A student midwife, who was inspired to take up the profession because of her own childbirth experiences, is in line for a prestigious award.
Bea Gardner, a mature student at the University of Leicester, has been shortlisted in the Student Midwife of the Year category by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).
The RCM Awards celebrate and reward outstanding achievements within midwifery, and are a benchmark for excellence.
Bea, who was nominated by Associate Professor in Midwifery Maxine Chapman, said: “I decided to go into midwifery because it’s such an impactful experience on an individual’s life. I knew I wanted to make it as positive as possible and I was hugely influenced through my own experience of having three children and the support I received.
“To be there through someone’s perinatal journey, supporting a growing family, and welcoming life into this world is a massive privilege and I really love what I do. I’ve never looked back since joining the Midwifery with Leadership course at the University so being nominated for this award, never mind shortlisted, is a massive honour.
“The course has really opened up by eyes about what’s possible to achieve through research and PhD studies. I’ve recently been to Japan attending a global regional interprofessional education programme, sharing solutions on health-related issues and it’s just one of the many opportunities this course has been able to offer me.”
Bea is currently in the final year of her Midwifery with Leadership MSci course where her dedication and enthusiasm have shone through.
Her nomination said she was “diligent and widely respected by her peers, who naturally gravitated towards her for guidance and support during challenging times.”
It said that she was an active member of the Midwifery Society and co-chair of the Global Ethnic Majority Healthcare Professionals Network, which highlighted her dedication to promoting representation, allyship, and support for all students within healthcare.
The nomination added that Bea collaborated with other societies to organize events promoting cultural competency and understanding within the healthcare community, including a successful cultural competency workshop that enriched the academic experience for peers from various healthcare disciplines.
Professor Jayne Marshall, Head of Midwifery and Lead Midwife for Education at the University, who also nominated Bea for the award, said: “Bea epitomises the programme which she is studying here at the University. She has readily championed midwifery as a healthcare career for future students from a diversity of backgrounds and experience and is a great student ambassador for the course itself, the university's Midwifery with Leadership Society, the Royal College of Midwives and the wider midwifery profession from a local, national and international perspective. I wish her every success with the award.”
Shortlisted nominees will attend a glittering award ceremony in London on 18 October when the winners will be announced.