A Senior Staff Nurse has been asked to sit on the prestigious judging panel of the 2021 Student Nursing Times Awards.

John-Barry Waldron, who is based at the Essex site of St Andrew’s Healthcare, picked up the Best Student Innovation in Practice prize at last year’s awards which was why he was invited to judge the submissions this year.

He was recognised for launching the On the Ward podcast, which interviewed patients and staff who are based at the charity hospital.

John said: “It was a huge honour to receive the award for something that didn’t feel like work. Creating the podcast was a huge passion of mine as I’m a huge fan of radio, but also I wanted to find a way of breaking down the stigma that is so commonly attached to complex mental health.

“I was thrilled to be asked back to judge the awards this year as I know just how important these accolades are to nurses. We all work so hard, but it’s vital we recognise those nurses who are newly qualified and go above and beyond.

“It’s even more special to be part of the judging panel this year as 2021 marks a decade since the awards programme was launched.”

The awards were created to honour student or recently graduated nurses. They were designed to showcase excellent performance across 21 categories.

The awards also provide the opportunity to congratulate the lecturers, practice supervisors, universities, trusts and private organisations who also go above and beyond to support student nurses.

The winners will be announced at a glittering ceremony on Thursday, November 4, 2021 at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane in London.