Shining a Light: A history of nursing support work (hybrid)

Join us for the hybrid launch of our new exhibition to discover the fascinating history of nursing support work and celebrate the contribution that nursing support workers continue to make today.  Join us in person to enjoy free refreshments and a chance to look around the exhibition alongside drop-in activities and talks from 6pm-7.30pm.  Join online from 6pm to hear our panel of finalists in the Nursing Support Worker category of our RCN Scotland Nurse of the Year Awards who have made an outstanding contribution to the care of patients or residents.   

Nursing support workers are the heart of health and social care, delivering hand-on care.  The exhibition explores the history of nursing support work – from Victorian asylums and wartime volunteers to nursing assistants and care workers today, this exhibition uncovers the long history and diversity of nursing support work. 

Exhibits include a handmade magazine created by a young Agatha Christie when she was a volunteer providing nursing support in the First World War, on loan from the British Psychoanalytical Society Archive. Never previously displayed, until this RCN exhibition in London and now in Edinburgh, the magazine gives a vivid insight into the resilience and camaraderie of volunteers at a time of national emergency in their roles known as Voluntary Aid Detachments (VADs). 

The exhibition also shines a light on the personal stories of nursing support workers today, celebrating the contribution they continue to make – in hospitals, care homes, clinics and communities. 

Our panel will celebrate the incredible work of Scotland’s nursing support workers and feature finalists in the Nursing Support Worker category of our RCN Scotland Nurse of the Year Awards.  Join our conversation with our finalists as they talk about what it is like working as a Nursing Support Worker, their career journeys and the innovations which led to their nominations for the awards.   

Our panel includes:  

• Described by colleagues as a bright spark, full of passion, patience and knowledge, hear from Alison O’Neil, Stirling based Health Care Support Worker within the iCAMHS team at NHS Forth Valley, and Highly Commended in last year’s RCN Scotland Nursing Support Worker of the Year Award.  Working with colleagues, she has overhauled treatment areas to make them better for patients and to enhance and improve the interface between her team and paediatric and mental health staff. The first health care support worker in the team, Alison helped to establish the possibilities of her role and implement ways of working to make the role central to the success of the team. Patient feedback credits Alison with helping to repair family relationships and is applauded for seeing this as equally as important as the health care given to the patient. One of Alison’s greatest skills is her ability to talk to patients, reduce anxiety, and making it easier for the team to develop therapeutic relationships with their patents. 

• Described by colleagues as passionate and innovative, hear from Stuart Wilson, Care Home Support Worker in the Care Home Collaborative of Glasgow, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Runner-Up last year’s RCN Scotland Nursing Support Worker of the Year Award. Passionate about food, fluid and nutrition, Stuart developed learning materials and delivered sessions to care home teams alongside colleagues.  Stuart’s work on the mealtime experience has led to him creating a suite of educational materials. He has been pivotal in creating educational provision in peer to peer support for support workers within care homes. Stuart has and continues to fully embrace all elements of the role, respond to service needs, and provide mutual aid to care homes when required involving working as part of care home teams and providing care for residents. Stuart has approached this with great enthusiasm and he has shown a strong desire to really support the teams and make a difference in the experiences of the residents being cared for. 

• Focusing on empowering Health Care Support Workers and fostering patient-centred care, drawing on his own background as a HCSW, hear from David McLaughlin HCSW Education and Development Lead in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Runner-Up in our 2024 RCN Nursing Support Worker of the Year Award.  Collaborating with teams and professional bodies David enhances education opportunities for Health Care Support Workers across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.  Challenges emerged when NHS Education for Scotland was tasked with reviewing career pathways for Health Care Support Workers, prompting the formation of a multidisciplinary group led by David. Through evaluation to measure impact through shared learning opportunities and feedback mechanisms, David’s work has informed decision-making and resource allocation.  

• Described as emphasising person-centeredness and kindness in her work, ensuring her values are evident in everything she does, hear from Gemma Walker, HCSW Associate Practice Educator from the Practice Development Team in NHS Tayside and Highly Commended in our 2024 RCN Nursing Support Worker of the Year Award.  Gemma has initiated a community of practice to foster support among HCSW and has been instrumental in developing the role of assistant practitioners. Having organised a successful celebration day for HCSW and created online resources focusing on the fundamentals of care, Gemma's contributions extend beyond her immediate team, as she engages in local and national groups to promote person-centred care.  Currently on secondment as Learning and Development Officer (HCSW) at RCN Scotland, Gemma will host our panel.   

Joining us in person?  Drop in activities at the exhibition launch include:  

• Show and Tell showcasing the history of nursing support work through objects from the RCN Archives. 

• Add your reflections on nursing support work to our creative question panel. 

The 'Shining a Light' exhibition was put together in close collaboration with a group of RCN member volunteers who are support workers or work closely with support workers, and the RCN Nursing Support Worker Committee. 

Following the launch, the exhibition will be open for visitors Mondays to Thursdays 10 – 4pm. 

This event is open to all. 

If you have any questions or accessibility needs, please contact us on [email protected] or 0131 662 6163.  

Read the full terms and conditions for our events here. 

Find out more about the RCN Scotland Nursing Support Worker of the Year Award and Nurse of the Year Awards here RCN Scotland Nurse of the Year Awards | RCN Scotland | Royal College of Nursing 

Nominations for our 2025 awards season are now open.

Host or Publisher Royal College of Nursing Scotland