Lincolnshire Mental Health Nurse Wins National Student Nurse of the Year Award

31 May 2023

Written by: vsimons

With one in four people in the UK now estimated to suffer from a mental health issue in their lifetime, Lincoln’s School of Health and Social Care is working hard to cope with the demand by training and supporting exceptional nurses.

With one in four people in the UK now estimated to suffer from a mental health issue in their lifetime, Lincoln’s School of Health and Social Care is working hard to cope with the demand by training and supporting exceptional nurses.

Dorothy Dixon is a student at University of Lincoln, UK, who has been working with Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) to complete her Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship. In April this year, she attended the Student Nursing Times Awards 2023 ceremony in London where she claimed the title of Student Nurse of the Year: Mental Health.

Reflecting on her studies, Dorothy said: “Completing my Mental Health Nursing degree through LPFT and the University of Lincoln has been invaluable. The in-depth knowledge and support the University has given me will ensure the care I offer my patients is of an excellent standard.

“The University of Lincoln has played a significant role in my academic journey and has furnished me with the skills to progress and be successful in my Mental Health Nursing practice.”

Dorothy is evidenced to have made a meaningful difference to the people she has treated, with one of her patients commenting that she is “representative of a brighter future that treats those who are suffering not as patients but as people in our community who need help. She is kind, bubbly, empathetic, inquisitive, and dedicated to improving the lives of our most vulnerable people.”

Caroline Dobson, Programme Leader for the School of Health and Social Care, commented: “Dorothy is a hardworking and conscientious student, dedicated to delivering safe and effective care to her patients. She is supportive of her peers and has been a pleasure to teach on the Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship programme. Well done on her achievement.”

Last year, Chloe Keeping, a third-year paramedic student at the University of Lincoln won a similar national accolade: The College of Paramedics Student of the Year Award 2022, demonstrating the persistently high achieving culture being grown at Lincoln. She now works for the East Midlands Ambulance Service, directly benefitting the local area with her outstanding expertise.