ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥

Your web browser is outdated and may be insecure

The RCN recommends using an updated browser such as or

NOTY-2025-Web-Header

Clinical Leadership Award

RCN Scotland Nurse of the Year Awards

Nursing leaders inspire and motivate. They advocate for nursing and for high-quality person-centred care and are prepared to challenge and speak up for nursing.

About the award

Open to all registered nurses and midwives working in a clinical leadership role in the health, social care or the higher/further education sector. This award aims to recognise an exceptional leader who, by inspiring others, has made a significant difference to service delivery and quality of care. 

Who can be nominated?

Registered nurses and midwives who are in a clinical leadership role within health and care in Scotland.

Criteria:

The nominee should clearly demonstrate:

  • effective leadership in creating an environment where nursing is valued, recognised and supported
  • a commitment to person-centred care, innovation and delivering high-quality services that make a difference to the people receiving care
  • the positive impact of their leadership for service users, families and colleagues
  • the use of a credible evidencebase and/or developing an evidence base to underpin the work for which they are being nominated
  • how their work contributes to the delivery of local and national policy and strategy within health and social care.

2317-RCN-Nurse-of-the-Year-Awards-2025-Twitter-Posts5-AW

The nominations process is now open and you have until 10 January 2025 to submit your nomination. Please click 'nominate now' below to tell us about your outstanding nominee in this category

If you have any questions or queries regarding the awards, please get in touch by emailing scotlandnurseawards@rcn.org.uk

Return to the homepage

Ready to nominate?

Complete the form to submit your nomination making sure your submission evidences how your candidate meets the criteria for the award. 

Nominate now

What makes a winner

Read more about our previous category winners below:

Lynsey Russell (2024)

Senior Charge Nurse
Critical Care, NHS Borders

Lynsey is nominated due to her exceptional commitment to improving nursing practice and creating a supportive environment in NHS Borders. With over 26 years of experience, primarily in the intensive care unit (ICU), Lynsey has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities and a dedication to patient-centred care. She has significantly contributed to transforming the role and culture of nursing in the ICU and beyond by implementing quality improvement initiatives and fostering innovation. Despite limited resources, Lynsey has spearheaded various projects aimed at enhancing patient care and staff wellbeing. Her key achievements include implementing a nurse-led sedation management protocol, successfully advocating for the establishment of a clinical nurse educator (CNE) position in the ICU to ensure the delivery of high-quality care in line with national standards, and introducing a flexible nursing rostering system to address staff shortages and improve staff morale and patient safety. Evaluation of these initiatives has demonstrated their effectiveness through various metrics, including improved patient outcomes, increased staff competency, reduced costs, and positive feedback from staff surveys. Lynsey's work has also been recognised at national conferences and published in relevant journals.

Lynsey Russell

Michelle Dalgarno (2022)

Lead Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Kirkintilloch Health and Care Centre, East Dunbartonshire HSCP

Described by her colleagues as kind and courageous, with a background in District Nursing, Michelle completed the ANP pathway and was appointed as a District Nurse Advanced Nurse Practitioner in February 2021, the first post of its kind in her NHS board. Michelle’s commitment to research and evidence defines her leadership style, supporting transformation in her team and across the wider health and care locality team. Leading an anticipatory care planning (ACP) work stream she has introduced ACP champions across DN, Community Rehab, ANPs, Social Work, Care at Home, Care Homes and Older Peoples Mental Health services. Michelle acts as a role model, providing assessor and supervisor roles for DNs and student DNs. Michelle also leads a standardised approach to baseline assessment and clinical handovers which supports the early recognition of deterioration and triage. Michelle has implemented a multi-disciplinary team approach to increasing awareness around frailty, establishing and facilitating weekly MDT meetings. Michelle has also had a significant impact on GPs referrals. The unique contribution of her role is in undertaking a holistic nursing assessment alongside complex clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment and care planning.

Michelle Dalgarno

Help us to promote the awards

Why not print off one of our posters and pop it up in your workplace to encourage others to submit a nomination and join us in celebrating the #BestOfNursing in Scotland

RCN Scotland Nurse of the Year Awards 2024

Page last updated - 15/10/2024