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As the complexity of residents’ clinical need increases, the skills, competencies and availability of nursing staff in care homes is increasingly important. They play a fundamental role in ensuring residents receive high quality, safe care and are treated with dignity and respect.

Open to registered nurses and nursing support workers working in Scotland’s care homes, this award aims to recognise the impact and importance of nursing in social care and those who have made an outstanding contribution to care and quality of life for residents in a care home. 

Who could be nominated?

A registered nurse or nursing support worker who is delegated work by a registered nurse and is working in a clinical role in a care home setting in Scotland. This could be in a local authority, or the independent or third sector.

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 residents, 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:

• Eileen Welch, Home Manager, Burnlea House, Pepperwood Care
• Lori Fisher, Service Quality Manager, BCG Cares 
• Royston Court Care Home Nursing Team, Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership / NHS Lothian

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.

Home Manager
Burnlea House
Pepperwood Care

Eileen, Nurse Manager at Burnlea House, is described as an inspirational clinical leader whose evidence-based innovation, creativity, and compassion have transformed the care home’s culture, environment, and quality of care. Eileen has introduced a wide range of imaginative, resident-centred initiatives that bring meaning, stimulation, and joy, particularly for residents who find it difficult to go out. Her philosophy of “going out while staying in” has led to projects such as themed environments, international culture months, virtual and real-life trips, memory boxes, a phone box to support connection, and innovative use of lighting and space. Eileen has created an empowered, motivated workforce having introduced inclusive workshop-style meetings, redesigned appraisals focused on reflection and happiness. This alongside her strong alignment with fair work and safer staffing principles has led to exceptional staff retention. Eileen is recognised as a catalyst for change whose energy, vision, and commitment to person-centred care have elevated Burnlea House into a vibrant, meaningful place where residents thrive, staff feel valued, and excellence in nursing leadership is clearly demonstrated.

Service Quality Manager
BCG Cares

Lori is described as an inspirational and highly influential nursing leader whose work seamlessly integrates compassion, clinical excellence, and innovative, evidence-based approaches to transform care for older people in care homes. She uses outcomes and data to inform learning at both organisational and individual nurse levels, translating negative clinical incidents into actionable improvements, visiting care homes directly to guide practice, reduce risks, and encourage reflection, which in turn decreases the need for NMC referrals and enhances patient safety. She has implemented impactful initiatives such as “Stop the Pressure Day,” coordinating stakeholders, securing budgets, and creating engaging educational events across multiple care homes, ensuring consistent standards and promoting awareness on critical care issues. Lori is a courageous advocate for social care nurses, challenging disparities with the NHS, promoting professional parity, and ensuring good practice is not limited by geographic or organisational boundaries. Her vision, dedication, and ability to hold senior leadership accountable make her a transformative force and a catalyst for excellence across the care sector.

Nursing Team
Edinburgh

The nursing team at Royston Court Care Home has been nominated for their exceptional dedication, compassion, and professionalism in delivering high-quality, person-centred care to residents. The team is strongly committed to ongoing professional development, reflective practice, and close multidisciplinary working, ensuring that clinical decisions are evidence based and focused on improving outcomes and resident experience. Since nurses were introduced to the care home three years ago, bringing together NHS and City of Edinburgh Council staff, the team has demonstrated outstanding resilience, adaptability, and teamwork, particularly in challenging circumstances. They work seamlessly together to manage complex health needs, including dementia and end-of-life care, while also mentoring junior staff and supporting families with empathy and compassion. Through audits, quality improvement initiatives, and use of the Care Home Dashboard, the team has achieved measurable outcomes, including a 50% reduction in falls and hospital attendances, a 60% reduction in GP visits, and the release of 20–30 hours of district nursing time back into the community each week.

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 care home nursing sector.