Hosted by the British Journal of Nursing (BJN), nurses, nominees and colleagues from all corners of the country gathered at BMA House in London to celebrate the achievements of nurses over the last year. Nurses were nominated across 17 different categories in recognition of their accomplishments from the ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award to ‘Mental Health Nurse of the Year.’
‘The night was an overwhelming success,’ said BJN editor Sophie Gardner. ‘It was an honour to be in a room with so many incredible nurses whose work to ensure patients receive the best possible care. It’s truly inspirational.’
This year also saw the debut of the newest category ‘Learning Disability Nurse of the Year,’ which went to Sue Sargeant, advanced nurse practitioner, and Claire Donnelly, primary care liaison nurse from TEWV NHS Foundation Trust. The award recognises nurses who have done exceptional work in their role working with children and adults with learning disabilities, improving their physical and mental health, and supporting their independence.
‘This is the first year that learning disabilities was a category in the BJN Awards, so we were very happy and surprised to win. We accepted the award on behalf of all learning disability nurses and for people with a learning disability,’ said Sargeant. ‘Due to their health inequalities, people with a learning disability are more likely to die 20 years younger than the rest of the population. 49% of these deaths could be avoided with better access to healthcare, amongst this is quality medication reviews.’
The BJN Awards will return for 2026, with nominations opening later this year.