Star alumnus awarded prestigious scholarship

Former Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) student nurse Craig Davidson has been awarded a prestigious scholarship on the Healthcare Leadership (HLA) Academy Scholars programme.

Craig graduated in summer 2020 with a first-class BSc (Hons) in Nursing Studies. He was also the recipient of the Ross Hall prize for academic achievement and excellence, former Student Nursing Times Editor and Nursing Times Student Nurse of the Year in 2019.

He was an infectious diseases nurse at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital until April this year and is now Senior Health Nurse at Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership’s Asylum Health Bridging Team.

Craig said: “I am honoured to have been selected as a scholar for the HLA programme. The work past scholars have undertaken has been truly inspiring.

“I cannot wait to begin and to work with a leadership mentor on my community project to support new asylum seekers to Glasgow.”

After completing a rigorous and competitive selection process, Craig will soon be joining the academy’s cohort for the 2021/22 academic year. The scholarship is set up to develop and nurture healthcare leaders of the future.

Nursing student Natalie Elliott has also won a place on the same scholarship programme and is “still in shock” at the news but looking forward to the year ahead.

GCU’s Head of the Department of Nursing and Community Health Professor Jacqueline McCallum said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to focus and develop early career nurses with leadership for the future.”

Johann Malawana, HLA Director, said he was delighted to welcome Craig and Natalie to the new cohort.

“The pandemic has reinforced the need for leaders who inspire, listen and care. At a time of great global challenge, it is important that the next generation of healthcare leaders are motivated, inspired, and prepared in order to best look after the populations they serve,” he added.