Improving Individual and Population Health Award

Nominations for this award are closed and will reopen in Spring 2025.

Health improvement can be achieved by working in partnership with individuals, communities and populations by nurses and midwives in all areas of nursing and midwifery practice. Opportunities to make an impact on improving or protecting the health of the population, spanning all age groups and can arise at individual, family, community, and national levels.

About the award: This award aims to recognise a nurse or midwife who has made an outstanding contribution to improving individual and/or population health, including the introduction of changes that lead to innovative health improvement or health protection interventions or programmes.

Who can be nominated?

Nurses registered on all parts of the NMC register who are:

• Working in generic, specialist, leadership, academic or management roles within Wales
• Practising in any sector for example: Independent Health and Social Care Sector, Third Sector, NHS or Local Authority
• Diversity in nominees is encouraged to reflect the workforce in Wales

Criteria

• Able to demonstrate that their work relates to a relevant public health model or health framework and that the approach to promoting health and/or reducing the impact of disease or health harming behaviours is commensurate with national policy and strategy within health and social care
• Through effective leadership is able to demonstrate a central contribution to an innovative development that has made a difference to people receiving care and/or services
• Use of a credible evidence-base and / or developing an evidence base to under pin their work for the project for which they are being nominated
• Able to demonstrate a safe governance framework for the intervention, service or innovation being described for which they are being nominated
• Able to clearly demonstrate the benefits the work has had for patients, service users, families, communities and colleagues
• Through service evaluation, patient/service user involvement and / or other means, is able to demonstrate a positive impact on improving health
• Show commitment to and passion for the nursing profession, going the “extra mile” demonstrating a “can do” positive attitude

What makes a winning entry? - top tips to make you nomination stand out from the crowd!

Please read the nomination guidance note before beginning your submission. We have created some examples of excellent nominations to give you an understanding of the detail needed to make your nomination shine. You can also watch our guidance video 'Writing the perfect nomination for RCN Wales Nurse of the Year' for some top tips for making sure your nomination wows the judging panel.

Please remember to follow these key points:

• Tell us why you are nominating this person. A minimum of 300 words will be requested to explain your nomination, up to a 500-word limit for your submission. The more detailed you are the better so make full use of the word count given to you!
• Start with their success: What’s the headline? What are you proud of? Start with the attention-grabbing success to hook the judges immediately
• When writing your 500 words, please refer to the award criteria for the category you are nominating for and hit each point mentioned by providing solid evidence. that way, you’ll increase your chances of your nomination being shortlisted!
• Please tell us specifically how your nominee has gone over and above the requirements of their role, and/or how they have made significant contributions to their field of work.
• Lastly but not least, check your spelling and grammar! Professionalism and care are equally as important in your nominations! Spell out any acronyms to be as clear to the judges as possible, don’t make any assumptions that they know what you’re talking about!

We also encourage patient nominations; we want to hear about how your experience of excellent nursing care has touched your lives. This could be yourself, a family member or someone who is making a difference in your local community!  Contact RCN Wales if you would like help in choosing a category to nominate. NurseoftheYearAwards@rcn.org.uk

Diversity in nominees is encouraged to reflect the workforce in Wales across all areas of nursing; Independent Health and Social Care Sector, Third Sector, NHS, or Local Authority.