Leadership
Diversity and Inclusion Champion of the Year
People’s differences should be valued and supported in the workplace and evidence continues to shine a bright light on why progress must urgently be made on equality, diversity and inclusion.
This important award recognises an individual who has made a significant improvement and continued commitment to championing equality, diversity and inclusion in the health and social care workforce.
It is for an individual that has actively sort to eliminate discrimination and championed equality across the protected characteristics. This award is for someone who supports employees from minority ethnic backgrounds or promotes diversity in age, disability, gender or sexual orientation, ensuring equal access to opportunities and progression.
Any nurse, midwife or nursing associate working in a health and social care provider, charity, or government arm’s length body, is eligible to apply. We welcome entries from candidates themselves or nominations from those who wish to highlight an individual who they believe merits this recognition.
Entries are open to UK submissions only.
This item is not available
Sponsored by:
Manager of the Year (Non-clinical)
Health and care services require skilled and dedicated managers to lead and run them, in turn enabling nursing and other clinical staff to provide high-quality care.
Effective line management is critical to supporting individual and organisational performance, and it often has the biggest impact on staff wellbeing and fostering teams that feel valued by an employer.
This award category, now in its third year, aims to recognise an exceptional team leader, working in the NHS or independent sector, who demonstrates commitment to nurturing and supporting their staff.
Managers without a clinical background, but who are leading a team that includes nursing or midwifery staff, regardless of size or setting, are eligible to enter this category. We welcome entries from candidates themselves or nominations from those who wish to highlight a line manager who they believe merits this recognition.
As such, it represents a great opportunity for nursing or midwifery staff to nominate a colleague who has made a significant impact through their support of the profession.
Entries are open to UK submissions only.
This item is not available
Nurse Manager of the Year
Nurse managers are vital for supervising nursing staff in clinical settings. Effective line management is critical to supporting individual and organisational health and performance.
Line managers often have the biggest impact on staff health and wellbeing and fostering teams that feel valued as part of their organisation.
This award aims to recognise an exceptional nurse and team leader, working in the NHS, charity or independent sector, who demonstrates commitment to nurturing and supporting their staff.
Any nurse, midwife or nursing associate who is leading a team, regardless of size or clinical setting, is eligible to enter this category.
We welcome entries from candidates themselves or nominations from those who wish to highlight a nurse line manager who they believe merits this recognition. As such, it represents a great opportunity to nominate a colleague who has made a significant impact.
This item is not available
Learning & Development
Best Workplace for Learning and Development
Workplace learning and development is about creating the right culture and environment for nursing and midwifery staff to thrive in their role.
As well as improving knowledge and skills, continuing professional development (CPD) can help to create a more positive working culture and boost employee morale.
This award aims to recognise employers that prioritise learning and development opportunities, using the resources available to them to offer a wide-ranging portfolio of CPD options to nursing and midwifery staff.
Entries will be judged on originality and resourcefulness, considering the size of the organisation and its budgets.
Entries are open to UK submissions only.
This item is not available
Practice Educator of the Year
Fulfilling the training needs of nursing staff is essential, with strong clinical practice education key to delivering high quality and safe care.
Practice educators are vital for developing and standardising clinical practice across departments and supporting and training nursing staff in the introduction of new equipment, skills and medicines.
They both work with newly registered staff to support them during the transition from being a student and also with more experienced nurses when they begin to take charge of their clinical areas.
This award category, now in its third year, aims to recognise an exemplary practice educator who goes out of their way to provide clinical training, support and development for nursing staff.
We welcome entries from candidates themselves or nominations from those who wish to highlight practice educator who they believe merits this recognition. As such, it represents a great opportunity to nominate someone who has made a significant impact.
Entries are open to UK submissions only.
This item is not available
Preceptor of the Year
The transition from student nurse to newly registered nurse (NRN) is always challenging and feels even more so now due to current workforce pressures.
Supporting this transition requires the foundation provided by a preceptorship programme, with preceptors to oversee development and give personalised support in clinical and practical areas.
Supporting and nurturing new nurses and midwives during their vital first year in this way means they can flourish and make the vital contribution for which they trained.
A good preceptor can make the difference between an NRN remaining with an employer or deciding to take their skills elsewhere and, in some cases, leave nursing altogether.
This award category, now in its third year, recognises an exemplary preceptor who goes out of their way to provide support, development, coaching and mentorship of new staff.
We welcome entries from candidates themselves or nominations from those who wish to highlight a preceptor who they believe merits this recognition. As such, it represents a great opportunity to nominate someone who has made a significant impact.
Entries are open to UK submissions only.
This item is not available
Preceptorship Programme of the Year
The transition from student nurse to newly registered nurse (NRN) has never been a bigger step than now and one that requires the foundation provided by an appropriate preceptorship programme.
Supporting and nurturing new nurses and midwives during their vital first year means they can flourish and make the vital contribution for which they trained.
A preceptorship programme should support NRNs and newly registered midwives as they move through the first year of employment and beyond.
A good preceptorship can also make the difference between newly registered staff remaining with an employer or deciding to take their skills elsewhere and, in some cases, leave nursing altogether.
This award category aims to recognise an outstanding preceptorship programme for nurses and midwives that demonstrates support, development, coaching and mentorship of new staff.
Entries are open to UK submissions only.
This item is not available
Preceptee of the Year
The transition from student nurse to newly registered nurse (NRN) is always challenging and feels even more so now due to current workforce pressures.
Successfully navigating that first year as a newly registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate requires talent, initiative and resolve, as well as the support of colleagues and employers.
Despite these challenges and although only at the start of their career journey, some new registrants will already be standing out from the crowd by demonstrating their potential to be the rising stars of the future.
This award, in its first year, seeks to reward that potential and highlight a newly registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate who has really shone during their first year in clinical practice.
We welcome entries from candidates themselves or nominations from those who wish to highlight a preceptee who they believe merits this recognition. As such, it represents a great opportunity to nominate someone who has demonstrated real potential.
Entries are open to UK submissions only.
This item is not available
Organisational
Best Social Responsibility Programme
Top employers increasingly want to be seen to be doing the right thing when it comes to the environment, their staff, local communities and society at large.
Corporate social responsibility programmes involve employees and their organisations acting in the best interests of their workplace, the local community, environment and the world in general.
Examples include charity work, donations or campaigns, using locally sourced products and working closely with local communities, and efforts to improve sustainability or reduce carbon footprints.
It might also see organisations and individuals engaging in philanthropic initiatives to support people or colleagues in low- and middle-income countries.
This award category, now in its third year, aims to recognise health and social care organisations with a stand-out corporate social responsibility agenda that is leading the way and has measurable benefits.
Entries are open to UK submissions only.
This item is not available
Best UK Employer of the Year for Nursing Staff
Winning this category ensures that you join a select list of organisations in the health and care sector that have held our prestigious title of best employer for nursing and midwifery staff in the UK.
This significant award recognises an employer that has excelled in overall workforce planning and staffing sustainability through recognition, engagement, wellbeing, training and other initiatives.
This category seeks to recognise and reward organisations that exhibit excellent recruitment and retention practices and activities, to ensure they have a motivated and fulfilled workforce.
We welcome entries from organisations themselves or nominations from those who wish to highlight excellent places to work.
If your organisation is planning on entering a number of categories at the Nursing Times Workforce Awards, then this one is an ideal opportunity to promote your employer’s overall achievements.
Likewise, you should consider entering if your organisation has scored highly in the annual NHS Staff Survey – the results of which were published in March – or in other measures of employee feedback.
Entries are open to UK submissions only.
This item is not available
Best Use of Workplace Technology
Technology is often billed as the solution to many problems in the health and social care sector, and there has been a noticeable new drive and energy in this area over recent years within the profession. When it works well, technology really can improve the working lives of nursing staff, and lead to care improvements.
This award is aimed at recognising an organisation that demonstrates the meaningful use of technology to improve the working environment and support the health and social care workforce – giving nurses and midwives more time to care and make the most of their clinical skills.
This category will recognise organisations that use technology, for example, to support better training, mobile working or flexible working, in order to improve the working environment and release more time for them to spend with patients and service users.
Entries are open to UK submissions only.
This item is not available
Workforce Team of the Year
Effective workforce planning ensures appropriate levels of nursing and midwifery staff are available to deliver safe and high-quality care to patients.
Workforce teams are fundamental to ensuring successful workforce planning by health and social care organisations, whether focused on hospitals or in community settings.
This award aims to celebrate an outstanding HR/workforce team that has delivered significant improvements to the recruitment, retention, and training and development opportunities for all nurses, midwives, nursing associates and support staff.
Entries are open to UK submissions only.
This item is not available
Sponsored by:
Recruitment
Best International Recruitment Experience
UK employers are increasingly seeking recruits from overseas to fill vacancies, but competition is fierce due to the global workforce market in health and social care, and the worldwide shortage of nurses and midwives.
Internationally educated nurses strengthen our domestic workforce and bring a wealth of experience and diversity that requires significant personal and financial investment. This award aims to recognise an organisation’s strategic approach to the improvement in the recruitment experience of internationally educated nurses and midwives coming to the UK.
Judges will consider the use of innovative advertising, marketing campaigns and events to recruit overseas nurses and midwives, as well as initiatives to subsequently support and embed them into the workforce.
The panel will also look at the efficiency of the recruitment process, communication with candidates along the way and the assessment day/interview experience plus the onboarding/induction process.
Entries must include at least one UK institution, for example, an NHS trust.
This item is not available
Best Recruitment Experience
High vacancy rates and a shortage of nurses in many parts of the country mean competition to attract nursing staff is fierce.
This award aims to recognise an organisation’s strategic approach to domestic recruitment and the improvement of nurses’ and midwives’ experience of the recruitment journey.
Judges will consider the use of innovative advertising, marketing campaigns and events to recruit nurses and midwives, as well as initiatives to subsequently support and embed them into the workforce.
They will also look at the efficiency of the recruitment process, communication with candidates along the way and the assessment day/interview experience plus the onboarding/induction process.
Entries are open to UK submissions only.
This item is not available
Overseas Nurse of the Year
Internationally educated nurses and midwives have never been more important to the UK’s health and social care workforce, and we want to highlight their contribution.
This important award will recognise an individual that has made a significant contribution to their employer since moving to work in the UK.
Nominations are encouraged from individuals who have, for example, helped to improve their service, supported the integration of fellow overseas staff or contributed in other ways to support their employer.
Any overseas nurse, working in a health or social care provider, charity or government arm’s-length body is eligible to apply. We welcome entries from candidates themselves or nominations from those who wish to highlight an individual who they believe merits this recognition.
Entries are open to internationally educated nurses and midwives working in the UK only.
This item is not available
Retention
Best Employer for Diversity and Inclusion
People’s differences should be valued and supported in the workplace, and nursing and midwifery staff should experience equal treatment and equal opportunity.
Equality, diversity and inclusion in the nursing and midwifery workforce brings a wealth of experience and expertise, ensuring health professionals and services are reflective of the local communities they serve. Plus, employers with a diverse and inclusive workforce are more likely to be successful.
This award aims to recognise an organisation that has made a significant improvement and continued commitment to the diversity of its workforce.
This category is for those that are actively trying to eliminate discrimination and to ensure equity of opportunity to those with a protected characteristic.
It is for those that actively try to support employees, taking into account age, gender, sexual orientation, disability or ethnic background, to reach their potential with equal access to opportunities and progression.
Entries are open to overseas nurses working in the UK only.
This item is not available
Sponsored by:
Best Employer for Staff Recognition and Engagement
Recognising the positive impact of staff and actively engaging with them are linked to better workforce retention.
Staff who feel recognised for their work tend to be more engaged with their employer. In turn, staff who feel engaged are often more likely to be motivated, productive and loyal.
This award is aimed at organisations that celebrate and reward excellence in nursing and midwifery care, and that have made real improvements to staff recognition and engagement activities.
We want to highlight employers that demonstrate a clear commitment to identifying dedicated and high-performing individuals in their workforce, and to ensuring their achievements are celebrated.
Likewise, we want to reward the positive impact of engagement initiatives on staff evaluation surveys and employee feedback, which demonstrate meaningful activities and uptake from staff.
Entries are open to UK submissions only.
This item is not available
Best Staff Wellbeing Initiative
Recognising the importance of nursing and midwifery staff wellbeing makes for a happier, healthier and more productive workforce.
Staff wellbeing has often fallen further down the priority list than it should be but has, arguably, never been more important than during current workforce pressures facing the health and social care sector.
This award category is aimed at an employer that has demonstrated a continued commitment to the mental and physical wellbeing of its staff, and that really stands out from the crowd with its offer.
Entries are open to UK submissions only.
This item is not available