Award for newly graduated nurse is unexpected surprise
confidence boost for woman who appeared on tv show
Published:
A NURSE who studied in the Western Isles and appeared in a BBC documentary has scooped a prestigious award.
Norma MacLeod, who hails from the Isle of Lewis, graduated from the Western Isles campus of the University of Stirling in November with a degree in adult nursing.
Now the 33-year-old, who appeared in the fly-on-the-wall series Nursing a Dream while she studied in Stornoway, has won the RG Bomont Award, given for excellence in clinical practice.
She will be presented with the award on Monday at the Western Isles Hospital.
Nominated students are assessed on their performance throughout the placements they undergo during their three years of study.
During her second work placement on a hospital ward, Mrs MacLeod saw an elderly lady have a heart attack while she was helping her settle on to the ward, and questioned whether nursing was the right career for her.
Mrs MacLeod, mother to Dylan, 16, and five-year-old Niamh, said the award was totally unexpected, but it had given her a boost in confidence.
She added: “I have achieved more than I ever thought I could, and now I think I will continue my studies. In this profession I don’t think you can afford to stop learning, so I may attempt a masters degree.
“It depends how I get on – one step at a time. I do have to keep a balance in my life and, at the end of the day, my family comes first.”
Mrs MacLeod, of Bruntwood Tap, Inverurie, now works in the stroke rehabilitation ward of Inverurie Hospital.
Dr Annetta Smith, associate head of the department of nursing and midwifery at the Western Isles campus, said: “Norma displayed many exceptional qualities and, as her personal tutor, I was impressed by the way she spoke about nursing care, demonstrating a genuine caring ethos and an impressive knowledge of nursing practice.
“However, Norma was always quietly reflective about her achievements and genuinely surprised to hear she had won the award.”
