Student Nursing Times Awards 2022

**WELCOME LETTER FROM EDITOR OF NURSING TIMES, STEVE FORD**

Welcome to the Student Nursing Times Awards 2022. Our awards recognise you, a group of outstanding students on your journey to entering the nursing profession, as well as all those who support you along the way, from individual educators to education institutions to placement providers.

The fallout from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on nurse education. Many pressures remain. For example, the capacity to teach cohorts effectively with staff and students isolating, and the challenge of providing and accessing high quality placements.

But I have also been pleased to hear how innovations made necessary by Covid-19 have now been adapted and adopted long-term for the benefit of students. In addition, we are told that number of people applying to study nursing in the UK is still above pre-pandemic levels, which can only be a good thing.

Meanwhile, following the last two year disrupted by Covid-19, our awards have returned to their usual springtime slot. We are back at the fabulous Grosvenor House on London’s Park Lane. Attending the awards will be students from all over the UK and at different stages of the nursing education journey, from first years to those who have recently qualified. Welcome all! Your innovation and achievements so early in your career already make you sources of inspiration and highly employable in future.

Meanwhile, the many higher education institutions and placement providers represented on the shortlist demonstrate the constant evolution and development in the way the next generation of nurses are educated, equipping them to deal with the challenges they will face and helping them to provide the best care possible.

As ever, I would also like to thank our judges. Their hard work, time and commitment allows us to hold this annual celebration of nursing education. Given the quality and quantity of entries, choosing a winner is often not a straight-forward task. Likewise, I want to give a massive thanks to our sponsors for their ongoing support, because we simply could not hold this event without them.

Once again, well done once again to all our winners and finalists. Please enjoy the Student Nursing Times Awards 2022 and I look forward to seeing you during the ceremony.