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Mental health Student Nurse of the Year awarded to York student

Posted on 27 April 2018

A University of York student has been named Student Nurse of the Year in the category of mental health at the Student Nursing Times Awards 2018.

Joe Atkinson with his award

The awards celebrate student nurses, as well as the universities and placement providers that educate and train them. This the fourth time in the awards' eight-year history that a University of York student has been honoured. 

Joe Atkinson, a third-year nursing student from York, said: “Every day is different when you are studying and training to be a Nurse. Each patient is unique and so, for me, nursing at its best is about listening to the patient’s specific needs and working collaboratively to come up with a plan that will aid them in their recovery.   

“Winning this award in the mental health category means a lot to me because the medical profession is making much bigger strides in mental health than it has in the past. There is no set path to recovery in patients with mental health issues, and so the key for nurse practitioners in achieving the best outcome lies in understanding what is most important to the individual patient.” 

Exceptional achievement

Following a record-breaking year of award entries, the winners of the Student Nursing Times Awards were announced during a ceremony held at the London Hilton. Student nurses, universities and organisations from across the student nursing community were honoured in 19 categories dedicated to celebrating exceptional achievement. 

Head of the Department of Health Sciences, Professor Karl Atkin said: "We are extremely proud of Joe's achievement and his award is well deserved. The Department is committed to providing a first-class education to support in the development of outstanding nurses for the future." 

Going into their 8th year, the Student Nursing Times Awards will return in 2019 and are the only awards recognising student nurses and nurse education.

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