A Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust nurse has spoken of her delight after winning a top gong recognising her work around research and education.
Sana Gul won the Learner of the Year (post-registration) award at the Student Nursing Times Awards 2024 – an event to recognise the outstanding achievements of student nurses and nurse educators.
She said: “I believe, as young nurses and midwives, we should develop research skills to make it a part of our everyday job role as direct care providers. My commitment to lifelong learning and advocacy reflects in my continuous pursuit of knowledge and contributions to the nursing and midwifery community.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to win this award.”
Her passion and work within research and learning was highlighted by the judges after hearing how she trained as a nurse at Aga Khan University School of Nursing in Pakistan where she noticed a lack of involvement for students when it came to research.
Sana founded the Student Research Forum (SRF) as a result – with the aim to create a culture of research within nursing students outside of what is the usual requirement.
After qualifying as a registered nurse in March last year, Sana was placed in community midwifery. Recognising this as an opportunity for her passion for learning to shine through, she thrived, gaining further knowledge by attending multiple workshops, seminars and digital learning courses. She was able to secure a fully funded Postgraduate placement at the University of Birmingham as a full-time midwifery student through Health Education England – all achievements that were noted by the awarding body.