A first-year student at the University of Worcester has designed a special pin badge to be given to all those graduating from the University’s Three Counties School of Nursing and Midwifery.
Hannah Williams with the Nursing pin badge she designed
Hannah Williams, who joined Worcester’s Adult Nursing programme in September 2021, won a competition run by the course lecturers. It used to be a tradition in nursing to receive a 'hospital' badge on qualification. Staff at Worcester wanted to resurrect this tradition to promote a sense of belonging and give students a memento of studying at Worcester.
Hannah’s design, featuring the three counties of Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, was selected and has now been turned into badges that will be given to all Nursing students at graduation.
“I was so thrilled to have my design chosen," said 21-year-old Hannah, from Stourbridge. “I saw this as an opportunity to create a representation of an important stage of my life and career and I wanted to be a part of creating something that everyone is proud to wear.”
Hannah said she started her design by considering what makes Nursing at the University of Worcester different.
"The three counties were an excellent place to start, and by including this I hoped to be representing the diverse opportunities presented to the students,” she said. “The badge also contains a hat which plays tribute to the importance of the history of nursing and midwifery. It has a heart on it to represent some of the key qualities of the profession, such as care and compassion. The colour scheme is based around the University of Worcester logo, and the text is kept around the edge for the imagery to take centre stage.”
Hannah said she wanted to become a Nurse after witnessing the care given to her late grandfather in 2019.
“The nurses showed honesty, compassion, and person-centred care, and I was shocked at how calm and pleasant they made the situation feel despite the fact my family were going through a very shocking and difficult time,” she said. “They truly made the situation better for us.”
“I have always had a caring nature, however I never believed in myself enough to pursue a career in healthcare,” Hannah added. “During the pandemic I felt out of control, and like I could be doing more to make a difference. Seeing the courage of nurses and other healthcare key workers on the news inspired me to believe that I could make a difference too. I wanted to be part of something so special and provide comfort to those in their hour of need, just like the nurses did with my grandad and the nurses on the news were doing.”
Hannah said she hoped her badge would be worn with pride by her peers as they graduate and go out into the workforce.
“Hopefully it will act as a reminder of all the hard work and commitment students have put into their training and of where their professional career started, which I believe is something to be very proud of,” she said.
Anita Hobday, Deputy Head of Pre-Registration Nursing, said: “I still treasure my own nursing badge and we hope that our students will also do so. It is wonderful to recognise the traditions of nursing while we remain committed to innovation for practice.”
Sue Thomas, also Deputy Head of Pre-Registration Nursing, added: “Our first cohort to receive this badge, our September 19 cohort, have completed their BSc Nursing course during the Covid 19 pandemic and we are incredibly proud of their achievements. It is fitting they are the first recipients.”