Celebrating 30 years of Nursing graduates

The Nursing & Health Care School welcomed all alumni, friends, supporters, students and staff to the Bute Hall, Gilmorehill on 3rd October 2012 for a celebratory event to mark the 30th year of Nursing Graduates from the University of Glasgow.

Dr Jean Turner, Executive Director of the Scotland Patients' Association formally opened the event and Olivia Giles, OBE made a short presentation called "Up Close and Personal" about her personal experience of nursing. Dr Giles contracted meningitis in 2002 and, as a result of which, both of her lower legs and both of her lower arms had to be amputated. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University in 2007.

The main lecture  themed "Safe in Our Hands" was delivered by Mary Waddell, OBE. Mrs Waddell is a retired Director of Nursing for the Eastern Board in Northern Ireland and was awarded her OBE in 2002 for services to Health Care following a 36 year commitment to nursing.

The Nursing & Health Care School was established in 1978 under the auspices of Professor Edward McGirr, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine from 1974-1981, with the first cohort of students graduating in 1982. To celebrate the 30 year anniversary this year's McGirr Lecture became a public event.

The School has a proud history and earned an enviable reputation for the outstanding quality of its graduates, who reflect the values of the School and the commitment to person-centred care, based on sound knowledge and skills. We have high retention and exceptional levels of graduate employment with graduates being sought after by some very prestigious hospitals.

The School has featured in the ‘Times Higher Good University Guide’  top 10 for nursing for last  3 years, is currently 2nd in UK for nurse education in Guardian University Guide 2012 and 1st equal in the UK for student satisfaction.

We share, and seek to instil in our students, the underpinning values of the University in our aim to provide leadership in multi-professional healthcare research, education and practice at local, national and international levels.  Our academic ethos is patient-focused and research-led which facilitates the skills required for lifelong learning and has the patient/client as the focus of health care.  Our portfolio includes provision of some programmes unique in Scotland or the UK e.g. Healthcare Chaplaincy.

The event was a great success and can be viewed here.