Our 2020 categories

This award recognises the impact that advanced level nursing practice has on patient care and nursing practice in all settings.
Who can enter?
Entries are accepted from nurses nominating themselves or their own teams or can be submitted on behalf of another nurse or nursing team. Non-nursing colleagues, such as managers or consultants, may also nominate their nursing colleagues for this award. Entrants do not need to be a member of the RCN.
How to enter:
Entries must be submitted online at nurseawards.co.uk via the ‘enter now’ button. We recommend nominators write the body of their entry in a separate document first, then copy and paste it into the online entry form, to avoid the risk of submissions being lost.
What your entry must include
-
Title
Please give your entry a title. Examples from previous years include ‘Hospital@Home team’ and ‘Young carers’ project’
(15 words) -
Key aims
Describe the key aims of the initiative or project. What were the reasons behind it and how was it implemented?
(200 words) -
Key roles
Clearly explain the role you/the nominee had in leading the initiative and its implementation.
(200 words) -
Team or individual nominee?
Please list the full name, job title and workplace of the nominee.
If the nominee is a team (either your own or another team), please check carefully and list the full name, job title and workplace of each team member, and describe how each one has contributed to the entry. -
Challenges
Explain the challenges in implementing the initiative and how they were overcome.
(200 words) -
Evaluation
Describe how the initiative has improved patient experience, health outcomes and nursing practice.
(300 words) - Sharing best practice
Does the nominee have plans to disseminate their initiative or share their innovation?
(100 words)
If you wish to attach supporting files, please do so here. Please note:
- Your document must be a PDF.
- You can include case studies, evaluation reports, images, graphs – any information that will support your submission.
- The maximum size you can upload is 5MB.
- How creative/innovative is the initiative? How much has the project contributed to nursing knowledge and practice?
- How instrumental was the nominee in setting up and leading the initiative?
- Consider the level of obstacles the nominee overcame to get the initiative up and running.
- Consider the impact the initiative has had on patient experience, health outcomes and nursing practice.
- What level of evaluation has been undertaken/is planned?
- To what extent has the nominee disseminated their initiative?
- To what extent does the nominee stand out as a nurse leader and ambassador for the profession?
This award celebrates individual nurses or teams who have used their initiative, insight and skills to improve the health and well-being of children and young people.
Who can enter?
Entries are accepted from nurses nominating themselves or their own teams or can be submitted on behalf of another nurse or nursing team. Non-nursing colleagues such as managers or consultants may also nominate their nursing colleagues for this award. Entrants do not need to be a member of the RCN.
How to enter:
Entries must be submitted online at nurseawards.co.uk via the ‘enter now’ button. We recommend nominators write the body of their entry in a separate document first, then copy and paste it into the online entry form, to avoid the risk of submissions being lost.
What your entry must include
-
Title
Please give your entry a title. Examples from previous years include ‘Hospital@Home team’ and ‘Young carers’ project’
(15 words) -
Key aims
Describe the key aims of the initiative or project. What were the reasons behind it and how was it implemented?
(200 words) -
Key roles
Clearly explain the role you/the nominee had in leading the initiative and its implementation.
(200 words) -
Team or individual nominee?
Please list the full name, job title and workplace of the nominee.
If the nominee is a team (either your own or another team), please check carefully and list the full name, job title and workplace of each team member, and describe how each one has contributed to the entry. -
Challenges
Explain the challenges in implementing the initiative and how they were overcome.
(200 words) -
Evaluation
Describe how the initiative has improved patient experience, health outcomes and nursing practice.
(300 words) -
Sharing best practice
Does the nominee have plans to disseminate their initiative or share their innovation?
(100 words)
If you wish to attach supporting files to support your entry, please do so here. Please note:
- Your document must be a PDF.
- You can include case studies, evaluation reports, images, graphs – any information that will support your submission.
- The maximum size you can upload is 5MB.
- How creative/innovative is the initiative? How much has the project contributed to nursing knowledge?
- How instrumental was the nominee in setting up and leading the initiative?
- Consider the level of obstacles the nominee overcame to get the initiative up and running.
- Consider the impact the initiative has had on patient experience, health outcomes and nursing practice.
- What level of evaluation has been undertaken/is planned?
- To what extent has the nominee disseminated their initiative?
- To what extent does the nominee stand out as a nurse leader and ambassador for the profession?

This award is for nurses or nurse teams who have developed initiatives to support carers and can demonstrate their positive impact on carers’ own physical and mental health as well as improving outcomes for the person being cared for.
Who can enter?
Entries are accepted from nurses nominating themselves or their own teams or can be submitted on behalf of another nurse or nursing team. Non-nursing colleagues such as managers or consultants may also nominate their nursing colleagues for this award. Entrants do not need to be a member of the Royal College of Nursing.
How to enter:
Entries must be submitted online via the ‘enter now’ button. We highly recommend you write the body of your entry in a word document and then cut and paste it into the online entry form to prevent work being lost.
Entry questions for the Commitment to Carers Award 2020:
- Initiative title
Please give your entry a title.
(25 words) - Aims and reason
Please describe the aims of the initiative. What were the reasons behind the implementation?
(200 words) - Roles
Please clearly explain the role you / the entrant had in leading the initiative and implementation.
(200 words) - Team or individual entry?
If this entry is a team entry (either your own or another team), please double check carefully and list the full names and job titles of each team member and how they have each contributed to the entry. - Patient care
Please describe how the initiative influenced provision of care, addressed carers’ own physical and mental health, and improved health outcomes for those being cared for.
(250 words) - Challenges
What were the challenges in implementing the initiative and how were they overcome?
(200 words) - Evaluation
Describe how the initiative has improved patient experience, health outcomes and nursing practice.
(300 words) - Sharing best practice
Does the nominee/team have plans to disseminate their initiative or share their innovation?
(100 words)
If you wish to attach supporting files, please do so here. Please note:
- Your document must be a PDF.
- You can include case studies, evaluation reports, images, graphs – any information that will support your submission.
- The maximum size you can upload is 5MB.
- How creative/innovative is the initiative? How much has the project contributed to the support of carers?
- How instrumental was the entrant in setting up and leading the initiative?
- Consider the level of obstacles the entrant overcame to get the initiative up and running.
- Consider the impact the initiative has had on patient experience, health outcomes, nursing practice.
- What level of evaluation has been undertaken / is planned?
- To what extent has the nominee disseminated their initiative?
- To what extent does the nominee stand out as a nurse leader and ambassador for the profession?

This award recognises and celebrates the impact of individual clinical research nurses or clinical research nursing teams involved in the delivery of cancer research through clinical trials.
Entrants will have demonstrated excellence and innovation in areas such as patient experience, patient care, accessibility of cancer clinical trials, recruitment to cancer clinical trials and raising awareness of cancer clinical research.
Who can enter?
This category is only open to those entering as or nominating either a) a clinical research nurse working on cancer clinical trials, or b) a clinical research nursing team working on cancer clinical trials.
Please note, this award is not open to nurse researchers or those involved in nursing research.
Entries are accepted from clinical research nurses nominating themselves or their own teams. They can also be nominated by nursing and non-nursing colleagues such as managers, researchers or consultants.
How to enter:
Entries must be submitted online at nurseawards.co.uk via the ‘enter now’ button. We recommend nominators write the body of their entry in a separate document first, then copy and paste it into the online entry form, to avoid the risk of submissions being lost.
What your entry must include
-
Title
Please give your entry a title. Examples from previous years include ‘Hospital@Home team’ and ‘Young carers’ project’
(15 words) -
Team or individual nominee?
Please list the full name, job title and workplace of the nominee.
If the nominee is a team (either your own or another team), please check carefully and list the full name, job title and workplace of each team member, and describe how each one has contributed to the entry. -
Reasons for entering
Describe why you want to enter yourself/the nominee for the award.
(200 words) -
Rationale for and key aim(s) of the initiative
Describe the rationale for and key aim(s) of your/the nominee’s initiative.
(200 words) -
Implementation of initiative
Describe how you/the nominee implemented the initiative. (200 words) -
Key roles
Explain the role you/the nominee played in this initiative. (200 words) -
Collaboration
Explain how you/the nominee worked with other health professionals or services to maximise the success of the initiative. (200 words) -
Challenges
What were the challenges of implementing the initiative and how were these overcome? (200 words) -
Evaluation
Reflect on the outcome(s) of the initiative, its impact and what will change as a result. What learnings could be applied to other clinical areas?
(300 words) -
Sharing your findings
How have you/the nominee shared findings from the initiative to further support daily practice, patients and cancer trial delivery, or what plans are there to do so?
(200 words) -
Looking ahead
What would you like to do next? (150 words)
If you wish to attach supporting files, please do so here. Please note:
- Your document must be a PDF.
- You can include case studies, evaluation reports, images, graphs – any information that will support your submission.
- The maximum size you can upload is 5MB.
- How creative/innovative is this initiative?
- How instrumental was the nominee in setting up, delivering and leading the initiative?
- Consider the level of obstacles the nominee overcame to set up and deliver the initiative.
- Consider the impact the initiative has had on improving the patient experience, patient outcomes, treatment discovery or nursing practice relating to clinical cancer research.
- How has the nominee contributed to the future of clinical research nursing in cancer?
- To what extent have findings and learnings from the initiative for the benefit of wider practice, patient experience and cancer research delivery?
- To what extent does the nominee stand out as a champion and ambassador for the cancer clinical research nursing profession?

This award recognises individual nurses or teams who work in community, primary care and public health roles. Whether you work in a health centre, general practice, care home, school or in patients' homes, we want to hear about your innovations and excellent practice.
Who can enter?
Entries are accepted from nurses nominating themselves or their own teams or can be submitted on behalf of another nurse or nursing team. Non-nursing colleagues such as managers or consultants may also nominate their nursing colleagues for this award. Entrants do not need to be a member of the RCN.
How to enter:
Entries must be submitted online at nurseawards.co.uk via the ‘enter now’ button. We recommend nominators write the body of their entry in a separate document first, then copy and paste it into the online entry form, to avoid the risk of submissions being lost.
What your entry must include
-
Title
Please give your entry a title. Examples from previous years include ‘Hospital@Home team’ and ‘Young carers’ project’
(15 words) -
Key aims
Describe the key aims of the initiative or project. What were the reasons behind it and how was it implemented?
(200 words) -
Key roles
Clearly explain the role you/the nominee had in leading the initiative and its implementation.
(200 words) -
Team or individual nominee?
Please list the full name, job title and workplace of the nominee.
If the nominee is a team (either your own or another team), please check carefully and list the full name, job title and workplace of each team member, and describe how each one has contributed to the entry. -
Challenges
Explain the challenges in implementing the initiative and how they were overcome.
(200 words) -
Evaluation
Describe how the initiative has improved patient experience, health outcomes and nursing practice.
(300 words) -
Sharing best practice
Does the nominee have plans to disseminate their initiative or share their innovation?
(100 words)
If you wish to attach supporting files, please do so here. Please note:
- Your document must be a PDF.
- You can include case studies, evaluation reports, images, graphs – any information that will support your submission.
- The maximum size you can upload is 5MB.
- How creative/innovative is the initiative? How much has the project contributed to nursing knowledge?
- How instrumental was the nominee in setting up and leading the initiative?
- Consider the level of obstacles the nominee overcame to get the initiative up and running.
- Consider the impact the initiative has had on patient experience, health outcomes and nursing practice.
- What level of evaluation has been undertaken/is planned?
- To what extent has the nominee disseminated their initiative?
- To what extent does the nominee stand out as a nurse leader and ambassador for the profession?

This award recognises individual nurses or teams who have implemented new projects or processes that have resulted in a real difference to patient care in any specialty or nursing environment.
Who can enter?
Entries are accepted from nurses nominating themselves or their own teams or can be submitted on behalf of another nurse or nursing team. Non-nursing colleagues such as managers or consultants may also nominate their nursing colleagues for this award. Entrants do not need to be a member of the RCN.
How to enter:
Entries must be submitted online at nurseawards.co.uk via the ‘enter now’ button. We recommend nominators write the body of their entry in a separate document first, then copy and paste it into the online entry form, to avoid the risk of submissions being lost.
What your entry must include
-
Title
Please give your entry a title. Examples from previous years include ‘Hospital@Home team’ and ‘Young carers’ project’
(15 words) -
Key aims
Describe the key aims of the initiative or project. What were the reasons behind it and how was it implemented?
(200 words) -
Key roles
Clearly explain the role you/the nominee had in leading the initiative and its implementation.
(200 words) -
Team or individual nominee?
Please list the full name, job title and workplace of the nominee.
If the nominee is a team (either your own or another team), please check carefully and list the full name, job title and workplace of each team member, and describe how each one has contributed to the entry. -
Challenges
Explain the challenges in implementing the initiative and how they were overcome.
(200 words) -
Evaluation
Describe how the initiative has improved patient experience, health outcomes and nursing practice.
(300 words) -
Sharing best practice
Does the nominee have plans to disseminate their initiative or share their innovation?
(100 words)
If you wish to attach supporting files to support your entry, please do so here. Please note:
- Your document must be a PDF.
- You can include case studies, evaluation reports, images, graphs - any information that will support your submission.
- The maximum size you can upload is 5MB.
- How creative/innovative is the initiative? How much has the project contributed to nursing knowledge?
- How instrumental was the nominee in setting up and leading the initiative?
- Consider the level of obstacles the nominee overcame to get the initiative up and running.
- Consider the impact the initiative has had on patient experience, health outcomes and nursing practice.
- What level of evaluation has been undertaken/is planned?
- To what extent has the nominee disseminated their initiative?
- To what extent does the nominee stand out as a nurse leader and ambassador for the profession?
This award recognises individual nurses or teams who have used their initiative, insight and skills to make a real difference to the health, well-being and social inclusion of people with learning disabilities.
Who can enter?
Entries are accepted from nurses nominating themselves or their own teams or can be submitted on behalf of another nurse or nursing team. Non-nursing colleagues such as managers or consultants may also nominate their nursing colleagues for this award. Entrants do not need to be a member of the RCN.
How to enter:
Entries must be submitted online at nurseawards.co.uk via the ‘enter now’ button. We recommend nominators write the body of their entry in a separate document first, then copy and paste it into the online entry form, to avoid the risk of submissions being lost.
What your entry must include
-
Title
Please give your entry a title. Examples from previous years include ‘Hospital@Home team’ and ‘Young carers’ project’
(15 words) -
Key aims
Describe the key aims of the initiative or project. What were the reasons behind it and how was it implemented?
(200 words) -
Key roles
Clearly explain the role you/the nominee had in leading the initiative and its implementation.
(200 words) -
Team or individual nominee?
Please list the full name, job title and workplace of the nominee.
If the nominee is a team (either your own or another team), please check carefully and list the full name, job title and workplace of each team member, and describe how each one has contributed to the entry. -
Challenges
Explain the challenges in implementing the initiative and how they were overcome.
(200 words) -
Evaluation
Describe how the initiative has improved patient experience, health outcomes and nursing practice.
(300 words) -
Sharing best practice
Does the nominee have plans to disseminate their initiative or share their innovation?
(100 words)
If you wish to attach supporting files to support your entry, please do so here. Please note:
- Your document must be a PDF.
- You can include case studies, evaluation reports, images, graphs - any information that will support your submission.
- The maximum size you can upload is 5MB.
- How creative/innovative is the initiative? How much has the project contributed to nursing knowledge?
- How instrumental was the nominee in setting up and leading the initiative?
- Consider the level of obstacles the nominee overcame to get the initiative up and running.
- Consider the impact the initiative has had on patient experience, health outcomes and nursing practice.
- What level of evaluation has been undertaken/is planned?
- To what extent has the nominee disseminated their initiative?
- To what extent does the nominee stand out as a nurse leader and ambassador for the profession?
This award recognises nurses whose innovative approach to mental health has inspired service users and colleagues and created positive outcomes in the lives of people they care for.
Who can enter?
Entries are accepted from nurses nominating themselves or their own teams or can be submitted on behalf of another nurse or nursing team. Non-nursing colleagues such as managers or consultants may also nominate their nursing colleagues for this award. Entrants do not need to be a member of the RCN.
How to enter:
Entries must be submitted online at nurseawards.co.uk via the ‘enter now’ button. We recommend nominators write the body of their entry in a separate document first, then copy and paste it into the online entry form, to avoid the risk of submissions being lost.
What your entry must include
-
Title
Please give your entry a title. Examples from previous years include ‘Hospital@Home team’ and ‘Young carers’ project’
(15 words) -
Key aims
Describe the key aims of the initiative or project. What were the reasons behind it and how was it implemented?
(200 words) -
Key roles
Clearly explain the role you/the nominee had in leading the initiative and its implementation.
(200 words) -
Team or individual nominee?
Please list the full name, job title and workplace of the nominee.
If the nominee is a team (either your own or another team), please check carefully and list the full name, job title and workplace of each team member, and describe how each one has contributed to the entry. -
Challenges
Explain the challenges in implementing the initiative and how they were overcome.
(200 words) -
Evaluation
Describe how the initiative has improved patient experience, health outcomes and nursing practice.
(300 words) -
Sharing best practice
Does the nominee have plans to disseminate their initiative or share their innovation?
(100 words)
If you wish to attach supporting files to support your entry, please do so here. Please note:
- Your document must be a PDF.
- You can include case studies, evaluation reports, images, graphs – any information that will support your submission.
- The maximum size you can upload is 5MB.
- How creative/innovative is the initiative? How much has the project contributed to nursing knowledge?
- How instrumental was the nominee in setting up and leading the initiative?
- Consider the level of obstacles the nominee overcame to get the initiative up and running.
- Consider the impact the initiative has had on patient experience, health outcomes and nursing practice.
- What level of evaluation has been undertaken/is planned?
- To what extent has the nominee disseminated their initiative?
- To what extent does the nominee stand out as a nurse leader and ambassador for the profession?

This award is for individual nursing students or teams who demonstrate that their nursing practice, perceptions or interactions with patients changed as a result of an incident or experience during training.
Who can enter?
Nursing students must submit their own entry. Nominations for this award are not accepted. Student team entries are accepted.
How to enter:
Entries must be submitted online at nurseawards.co.uk via the ‘enter now’ button. We recommend entrants write the body of their entry in a separate document first, then copy and paste it into the online entry form, to avoid the risk of submissions being lost.
What your entry must include
-
Title
Please give your entry a title. Examples from previous years include ‘StreetDoctors nursing student team’ and ‘Young carers’ project’
(15 words) -
Your reasons for entering
Describe the incident or experience where, by applying your learning, you/your team were able to make a real difference to patient care.
(200 words) -
Key roles
Clearly explain the role you/each team member played.
(200 words) -
Team or individual nominee?
Please give your full name and place of study.
If it is a team entry, please check carefully and list the full names and place of study of each team member, and describe how each one has contributed to the entry. -
Challenges
What were the challenges in implementing the initiative and how were they overcome?
(200 words) -
Evaluation
How has the initiative improved patient experience, health outcomes and nursing practice?
(300 words) -
Sharing best practice
Do you/your team have plans to disseminate your initiative and share your innovation?
(100 words)
If you wish to attach supporting files to support your entry, please do so here. Please note:
- Your document must be a PDF.
- You can include case studies, evaluation reports, images, graphs – any information that will support your submission.
- The maximum size you can upload is 5MB.
- To what extent does the entrant demonstrate an ability to assess the situation and use their initiative and leadership skills to bring about change?
- How has the entrant demonstrated their commitment to the nursing profession and delivering excellent patient care?
- Does the nursing student stand out from the crowd as a patient champion or future leader?

This award rewards individuals and teams working in a healthcare support role such as healthcare assistants, nursing associates and assistant practitioners who work under the guidance of a registered nurse, health visitor or midwife. It recognises the significant contribution they make to patient care and experdience.
Who can enter?
Entries are accepted from nursing support workers nominating themselves or their own teams. They can also be nominated by nursing and non-nursing colleagues such as managers or consultants. Entrants do not need to be a member of the RCN.
How to enter:
Entries must be submitted online via the ‘enter now’ button. We highly recommend you write the body of your entry in a Word document and then cut and paste it into the online entry form to prevent work being lost.
What your entry must include
-
Title
Please give your entry a title. Examples from previous years include ‘Hospital@Home team’ and ‘Young carers’ project’
(15 words) -
Team or individual nominee?
Please list the full name, job title and workplace of the nominee.
If the nominee is a team (either your own or another team), please check carefully and list the full name, job title and workplace of each team member, and describe how each one has contributed to the entry. -
Your reasons for entering*
Describe why you want to nominate yourself/the entrant for the award.
(200 words) -
Above and beyond
How have you/the nominee gone above and beyond the expectations of the nursing support worker role? What challenges did you/the nominee face and how were they overcome?
(200 words) -
Patient care
Please give examples of the difference you/the nominee has made to patient care and the nursing team. Has your/their work been evaluated?
(400 words)
If you wish to attach supporting files, please do so here. Please note:
- Your document must be a PDF.
- You can include case studies, evaluation reports, images, graphs – any information that will support your submission.
- The maximum size you can upload is 5MB.
- How creative/innovative is the initiative?
- How instrumental was the nominee in setting up and leading the initiative?
- Consider the level of obstacles the nominee overcame to get the initiative up and running.
- Consider the impact the initiative has had on patient or client care and experience and health outcomes.
- How has the nominee contributed to the nursing team?
- What level of evaluation has been undertaken/is planned?

This award provides an opportunity for members of the public to thank a nurse, midwife, health visitor or nursing support worker who has made a real difference to their care of that of a loved one.
Who can enter?
Entries are accepted from patients and members of the public only. Entries from nurses or colleagues of nurses will not be accepted. Nominees do not need to be members of the RCN.
How to enter
Entries must be submitted online at nurseawards.co.uk via the ‘enter now’ button. We recommend nominators write the body of their entry in a separate document first, then copy and paste it into the online entry form, to avoid the risk of submissions being lost.
What your entry must include
- Title
Please give your entry a title. Examples from previous years include ‘Men’s Shed Govan’ and ‘Tissue viability outreach team’
(15 words). -
Team or individual nominee
Please list the full name, job title and workplace of your nominee.
If the nominee is a team, please list the full name, job title and workplace of each team member. -
Reasons for the nomination
Please explain why you have chosen to nominate this nurse or team of nurses.
(400 words). -
Above and beyond
Please explain – and give examples of – how the nurse or team went above and beyond the call of duty and why you feel they deserve the award
(400 words).
Finalists for this award will be decided by our panel of judges, and the winner will be decided by public vote. Details on how to vote for the winner will be provided once the finalists have been announced in March 2020.

This award recognises that great nursing is often delivered in teams and in close partnership with multidisciplinary colleagues – or even patients or stakeholders. Entrants will need to demonstrate the significance of the nursing contribution to the project’s success as well as its impact on patient care.
Who can enter?
Entries are accepted from nurses nominating their own teams or can be submitted on behalf of another team. Non-nursing colleagues such as managers or consultants may also nominate their nursing colleagues for this award. Entrants do not need to be a member of the RCN.
How to enter:
Entries must be submitted online at nurseawards.co.uk via the ‘enter now’ button. We recommend nominators write the body of their entry in a separate document first, then copy and paste it into the online entry form, to avoid the risk of submissions being lost.
What your entry must include
-
Title
Please give your entry a title. Examples from previous years include ‘Hospital@Home team’ and ‘Young carers’ project’
(15 words) -
Key aims
Describe the key aims of the initiative or project. What were the reasons behind it and how was it implemented?
(200 words) -
Key roles
Please clearly explain the nursing role (you/the lead entrant) had in the initiative and its implementation.
(200 words) -
Roles within the team
Please check carefully and list the full name and job title of each team member and describe how each one has contributed to the entry. -
Challenges
Explain the challenges in implementing the initiative and how they were overcome, particularly in relation to team building and integration with colleagues and/or stakeholders?
(200 words) -
Evaluation
Describe how the initiative has improved patient experience, health outcomes and nursing practice.
(300 words) -
Sharing best practice
Does the team have plans to disseminate the initiative or share the innovation?
(100 words)
If you wish to attach supporting files to support your entry, please do so here. Please note:
- Your document must be a PDF.
- You can include case studies, evaluation reports, images, graphs – any information that will support your submission.
- The maximum size you can upload is 5MB.
- How creative/innovative is the initiative? How much has the project contributed to nursing knowledge and patient care?
- How instrumental was the nurse/team in setting up and leading the initiative?
- Consider the level of obstacles the team overcame to get the initiative up and running.
- Has the nurse/team demonstrated excellent team working and a high level of integration with other members of the multidisciplinary team/stakeholders/patients?
- How has the initiative changed nursing practice and patient experience?
- What level of evaluation has been undertaken/is planned?
- To what extent have the team disseminated their initiative?
- To what extent does the nurse/team stand out as a nurse leader and ambassador for the profession?