A NURSE from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) has been shortlisted for a national award.
Gay Jenkinson, who works on Edward 2 ward at Nottingham City Hospital, is one of nine people nominated in the Mentor of the Year category at the Student Nursing Times Awards 2013.
Gay, who has been a nurse at NUH since 2003, has been supporting and mentoring student nurses for nearly ten years, with many now working in senior positions at NUH.
Reacting to her nomination, Gay said: "I enjoy working to high standards and I feel very humble to be nominated for the mentor of the year award because mentoring is part of my daily routine looking after students, junior staff and new staff. It is a large part of my role and one that I thoroughly enjoy."
Mentors work with student nurses to offer "hands-on" teaching skills that ensure students get the chance to put into practice what they have learnt in the classroom.
As well as the day-to-day mentoring, Gay contributes to the practice learning team – a group set up to look at ways of improving the experience of student nurses across the hospital.
Katie Smalley, practice development matron at NUH, was mentored by Gay in 2005.
She is now a mentor herself and put Gay forward for the award.
She said: "Without Gay's attention to detail in ensuring her students pass their competencies, I wouldn't be where I am today."
The awards will take place on Wednesday 1at the Grange Hotel in London.