Double delight for UWS at awards night

A University of the West of Scotland (UWS) student and a team of colleagues pioneering a dementia care learning programme have been recognised at the Scotland Nurse of the Year Awards.

- TAYLOR MURRAY

Fionnadh Ratchford received a high commended in the nursing student of the year category for their work on helping patients.

While a team of expert dementia educators from UWS's Alzheimer Scotland Centre for Policy and Practice (ASCPP) — in collaboration with the State Hospital in Carstairs — won the learning in practice award.

The fruits of the work from both Fionnadh and the expert dementia educators had taken place at Paisley's UWS campus, as well as Lanarkshire and Dumfries campuses.

Described as an innovative student nurse, Fionnadh identified a gap in patient experience during her placement in NHS Ayrshire and Arran's Day Surgery Unit, observing that patients often arrived late, lost, and anxious, negatively impacting both them and surgical schedules.