A midwife at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust has been shortlisted for ‘Student Midwife of the Year’ in the Student Nursing Times Awards.

Sherrelle Smith, nominated by her Midwifery lecturer at the University of Cumbria (UoC), was a student midwife since September 2019 and has been offered a permanent position with the Trust as a Midwife working at the Cumberland Infirmary.

The nomination described Sherrelle as:

“A student midwife with an outstanding level of commitment to women. Her passion for midwifery and her exceptional skills have led her to become the first student in the Trust to work in a Continuity of Care team. She has been innovative in promoting women centre care by becoming the student link to the local Maternity Voices partnership and being instrumental in setting up Student Led Virtual Antenatal classes for women in her area, due to high demand. She is without a doubt a name to watch out for in future and a student that epitomises Midwifery.”

Amanda Kennett, Head of Midwifery, said:

“Sherrelle has been an absolute asset to the Trust. She has shown nothing but initiative, hard work and ongoing commitment to the women and the service as a whole.

 

During her time as student, she has produced a ‘day in the life’ video and has also been part of the memorial service held at the cathedral, where she read out a poem, called ‘We’re in it together’.

 

“I’m really pleased that Sherrelle is soon to join the team as a qualified Midwife and I look forward to seeing her develop even further.”

 

Sherrelle told us:

“I was really surprised to find out I had been nominated but over the moon to hear I had been shortlisted. It's such a privilege and I'm very excited to go to London for the final.”

Sherrelle joins three others from the Trust who have also been shortlisted, including our Practice Development Team who have been shortlisted for two awards and Quality and Safety Matron, Linda Turner, who has been nominated by the UoC for the role she played in organising enrichment sessions for students on community placement at the height of the pandemic.

The overall winners will be announced at the Student Nursing Times Awards on Thursday 4th November at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

If you are interested in becoming involved in the maternity voices partnership, you find more information on their website: https://www.wnecumbriamvp.co.uk/