Amy Pile, BNU student of nursing has been recognised in the national Student Nursing Times Awards, winning the prize for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Student Affairs’.

The award was one of 22 categories judged as part of an awards ceremony held on Park Lane in London last week, designed to honour the achievements of student nurses and nurse educators across the UK.

Amy, a mature student from Amersham, was recognised for commitments well above and beyond that of her ‘day job’ as a nursing student. Highlights include her role as a representative for nursing, mature and disabled students and countless social and fundraising events she has organised over the last few years.

Judges were especially impressed by the way Amy provided hands-on support and a friendly ear to all nursing students at BNU and her instrumental role in the formation of the BNU Bucks Nursing Society. She achieved this alongside leadership on an anti-bullying campaign, work to encourage the creation of new changing facilities for student nurses, and a real commitment to her studies. 

Speaking about her win Amy said: “It’s a real honour to win this award alongside others who have contributed to nursing in so other many impressive ways too. Being part of the BNU student nursing community has been a personal highlight for me, and the School of Nursing has supported me with every step along my journey, both professionally and personally.”

Amy also gave her sincere thanks for the support of the Bucks Student Union whose sabbatical team she will join next year as elected incoming Vice Presidents for Education and Welfare. And last but by no means least she also recognised the important role her family played too. “I’m still very much in shock at winning this award, but I’m not only proud of myself but also everyone that has helped, especially my husband who has been my rock, looking after everything at home, including our four children, so that I could achieve what I set out to do in my studies and future career.”

Head of BNU’s School of Nursing Paul Maloret said of the win: “Amy has worked extremely hard here at BNU, combining her studies with her commitment to student welfare. She has been a delight to have in the school, helping staff and students alike, so we are all extremely proud of her success and predict a bright future for her nursing career.”

Speaking about the awards, editor of Nursing Times, Steve Ford said: “A massive congratulations to all of our winners at the 2023 Student Nursing Times Awards. It is always an honour to host the awards each year and once again, I was really impressed by the calibre of the entries.” He added: “We celebrate students from all branches of the profession and from over the UK."

Amy takes up her elected sabbatical post at Bucks Student Union in June of this year, supporting BNU’s Aylesbury and Uxbridge campus locations, after which she plans to continue into nursing, remaining an advocate for the profession and having as much positive impact as she can along the way.