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Learning disability nurses help people of all ages with learning disabilities to maintain their health and wellbeing and to live their lives as fully and independently as possible.

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

Who could be nominated?

A registered learning disability nurse working in a clinical role or managing clinical services within learning disability services across 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, 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:

• Hannah Clark, Staff Nurse, The State Hospital
• Nicola Braid, Senior Nurse for Learning Disabilities, NHS 24
• Susan Craig, Clinical Nurse Specialist in Respiratory and Learning Disability, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

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.

Staff Nurse
The State Hospital Carstairs

Hannah is described as an exceptional learning disability nurse whose practice is defined by compassion, equality, and empowerment. She consistently delivers high-quality, person-centred care, ensuring individuals with learning disabilities are heard, respected, and supported to live fulfilling, independent lives. A key focus of Hannah’s work is reducing health inequalities. She has introduced innovative strategies such as easy-read health information, personalised care plans, and digital communication tools, significantly improving communication, engagement, and health outcomes. Her leadership in trauma-informed and sensory-friendly care has reduced anxiety for service users and strengthened trust with families and carers. Beyond direct care, Hannah is a strong advocate, educator, and collaborator. She delivers impactful training, mentors colleagues, and builds effective partnerships across multidisciplinary teams and community services, driving a more inclusive and equitable culture of care. Hannah’s dedication, innovation, and leadership have transformed both individual experiences and the wider service, making her a role model in learning disability nursing.

Senior Nurse for Learning Disabilities
NHS 24

Nicola is described as an exceptional and visionary leader whose role as NHS 24’s first Senior Nurse for Learning Disabilities has transformed unscheduled care for people with learning disabilities, their families, and carers. She has provided strong clinical and strategic leadership, ensuring care is safe, accessible, and genuinely person-centred while actively reducing health inequalities. A key strength of her work is meaningful co-production, leading focus groups with people with learning disabilities and families to ensure service improvements are grounded in lived experience. Nicola pioneered the proactive identification of individuals with additional care needs, enabling timely reasonable adjustments and more compassionate support. She has driven significant improvements in workforce education, with 90% of staff reporting increased confidence following her learning disability training. Nicola has also improved digital accessibility and information through enhancements to NHS Inform and inclusive resources. Overall, her evidence-based, inclusive leadership has delivered measurable improvements in outcomes, culture, and equity across NHS 24 and NHS Scotland.

Clinical Nurse Specialist in Respiratory and Learning Disability
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Susan, or Susie to those who know her, is a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Respiratory and Learning Disability, who has transformed access to respiratory care for people with learning disabilities across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde by bridging gaps between services and ensuring equitable, person-centred care. She identified barriers preventing individuals from receiving respiratory assessments, including challenges with diagnostic tests and eligibility criteria, and worked with secondary care teams to implement reasonable adjustments and a specialist clinic that supports both hospital and home-based interventions. Susie also developed a suctioning equipment pathway, reducing aspiration risk, hospital admissions, and carer stress, while enabling timely access to essential care and improving quality of life. Beyond direct patient care, she has enhanced workforce competence through education, training, and the development of clinical guidelines and resources, ensuring sustainable improvements in respiratory care and positive outcomes for patients, families, and colleagues.

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 learning disability nursing sector.