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Adult nurses can be found working with adults of all ages across health and care settings from hospital awards, outpatient units, patients’ homes, general practice and clinics.

Open to registered nurses working in adult services, this award aims to recognise those who have succeeded in raising standards of care for their patients and service users and have made an outstanding contribution to the care of adults.

Who could be nominated?

A registered adult nurse working in a clinical role or managing clinical services within adult services in Scotland.

What was the criteria for consideration?

Each finalist must clearly demonstrate:

• a commitment to person-centred care, innovation and delivering high quality services that make a difference to the people receiving care
• the positive impact of their work for patients, clients, families and colleagues
• the use of a credible evidence base and or developing an evidence base to underpin the work for which they are being nominated
• how their work contributes to the delivery of local and national policy and strategy within health and social care.

If you have any questions or queries regarding the awards, please get in touch by emailing scotlandnurseawards@rcn.org.uk

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The nominations process closed on 14 November 2025 and following our judging process, three finalists have been selected:

• Gillian Phimister, Lead Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Dundee Frailty at Home (East), NHS Tayside
• Keri-Ann Van-Nuil, Senior Charge Nurse, Stroke, Rehab and Frailty, NHS Dumfries and Galloway 
• Patricia Dow, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Head and Neck Outpatients, NHS Grampian.

You can read more below about why our judges feel these finalists represent the #BestOfNursing in Scotland.

The winners will be announced at our glittering awards ceremony at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh on 30 April.

Lead Advanced Nurse Practitioner
Dundee Frailty at Home (East)
NHS Tayside

Gillian has been nominated for successfully establishing a new Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) –led clinical model within Dundee’s community frailty service, transitioning a traditionally model into an advanced practice workforce delivering urgent, specialist assessment and treatment in patients’ homes. By supporting the formation of cluster-based, ANP-led Frailty at Home teams that function as virtual community wards, her work has improved triage efficiency and contributed to reduced hospital admissions, The redesigned service has improved nursing practice and increased capacity, with expansion now funded to operate 7 days a week and into extended hours. Gillian has also extended the ANP presence to inpatient settings to strengthen communication and ensure safe, supported transitions home for frail older adults. Her model continues to deliver excellent patient and family feedback, has been showcased nationally, and is now informing a wider NHS Tayside approach to urgent community frailty care.

Senior Charge Nurse
Stroke, Rehab and Frailty Unit
NHS Dumfries and Galloway

Keri-Ann, a Senior Charge Nurse in NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s Rehabilitation, Stroke and Frailty Unit, has been nominated for her exceptional leadership, compassion, and contributions to adult patient care. She has transformed rehabilitation and frailty pathways through early intervention, person-centred practice, and strong multidisciplinary collaboration, ensuring patients receive safe, evidence-based care focused on independence and dignity. Widely respected as an empathetic, inclusive leader who mentors staff, builds confidence, and fosters a positive, high-performing team culture. She has aligned local service improvements with national best practice, introducing innovative models that integrate hospital and community care, reduce delays, prevent avoidable admissions, and improve patient flow. Keri-Ann’s work has elevated the role of nursing in rehabilitation, improved outcomes for frail and stroke patients, and created a culture of compassion, quality, and continuous improvement. She is recognised as an inspirational adult nurse, whose impact extends across her team, service, and the wider community.

Clinical Nurse Specialist
Head and Neck Outpatients
NHS Grampian

Patricia, Lead Nurse for the ENT outpatient clinic in NHS Grampian, has been nominated for her exceptional clinical expertise, leadership, and service innovation. Collaborating with multiple specialties to introduce new services—including grass and tree allergy immunotherapy clinics, laryngology and voice clinics, facial palsy services, and rapid access clinics— she is at the forefront of enhancing patient access and reducing waiting times. She also helped establish a one-stop head and neck clinic, streamlining diagnosis and reducing patient anxiety, with patient feedback describing the treatment as life-changing and greatly improving mental health, family life, and ability to work and engage in daily activities. Patricia has played a key regional role in developing ear care services, training staff from other health boards, providing temporary clinical support in underserved areas, and working with the NHS Scotland Academy to create national “Train the Trainer” ear-care programmes. Her nurse-led ear micro-suction clinic has improved symptoms, prevented complications, reduced hospital travel, and lowered NHS costs.

Whilst our 2026 finalists await to find out the results at our award ceremony on 30 April 2026, read about our previous winners of this category and what made them stand out as the #BestOfNursing in Scotland's adult nursing sector.