Dundee graduate named as Nursing Student of the Year

Grant Cooper, a newly qualified community staff nurse at Academy Medical Centre, Forfar, received the award from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland in recognition of the extraordinary resilience, compassion, and commitment he displayed throughout his studies.

Grant, originally from Kingsbarns in Fife, made a bold career change to pursue nursing during the pandemic after working in hospitality for many years. As a student, Grant stood out for his academic excellence and dedication in clinical placements, leading to him securing a competitive Erasmus+ scholarship to Lithuania.

Tragically, both Grant’s parents died during the second year of his studies. Despite this, he continued to excel in his academic work and clinical placements, receiving glowing feedback and completing his degree with merit. His nominator praised Grant for exemplifying courage, empathy, and excellence.

Grant said, “From being told I was even nominated for this prestigious award, through to being shortlisted to the final three, and then hearing my name called out at the ceremony, the entire experience has been a complete shock to me. I never expected to win.

“Both my parents weren’t well and seeing that had a major impact on my decision to pursue nursing. I was in my mid-30s and thinking about a change of career when my mum was taken into hospital. I was inspired by the work that the nurses did and spoke to friends who were nurses about their experiences. I started thinking about doing something along these lines, but I didn’t think nursing was an option for me.”

Luckily for Grant, he was pointed in the direction of the SWAP (Scottish Wider Access Programme) Access to Nursing course at Dundee and Angus College, a programme designed to give mature learners the opportunity to return to higher education. After completing the programme with straight A grades, he progressed to the degree course at the University and instantly knew he had made the right decision. Unfortunately, his studies were interrupted by the loss of both his parents within six months of each other.

“Even though my mum and dad had been unwell it was unexpected when they died and for it to happen in such a short space of time hit me really hard,” continued Grant. “The University’s Student Services and Counselling teams were absolutely amazing. I can’t thank them enough and might not have been able to go on with my course without their help.

“Nursing is a really rewarding career and I absolutely love my job. Community nursing is definitely where I want to be and it’s an incredibly important resource for patients and the health service.

“We are caring for patients at home, helping to prevent hospital admissions and assisting to get them home from hospital and into their home sooner. We also do a lot of end-of-life care and respect patients’ wishes about how they want to spend their last days, so we do our best to make them comfortable in their own homes.”

Sponsored by Glasgow Caledonian University, the accolade recognises those who have shown exceptional promise during their professional education or practice placement. All pre-registration nursing and midwifery students in Scotland are eligible for the award.

The judges praised Grant’s honesty, compassion, and empathy which he evidenced throughout his student journey, and also his willingness to have open conversations to raise concerns.

Head judge Jacqui Neil said, “Grant showed a real passion for challenging himself, being open, and looking at everything as a learning opportunity. He really showed what a student nurse can bring to the nursing team and evidenced a clear understanding of the role of a nurse as an advocate for patients.”