The Queen Silvia Nursing Award offers students in seven countries €6,000 scholarships in a bid to “promote and nurture positive change, growth, innovation, and excellence in the field of nursing, geriatric nursing in particular”.

“We are currently facing critical global nursing shortages”

“We are currently facing critical global nursing shortages,” said Sophie Lu-Axelsson, CEO of Swedish Care International which is the founding partner award.

“Whether you are walking into a neighbourhood clinic or making your way into an urban emergency room, nursing shortages will impact us all.

“The Queen Silvia Nursing Award aims to address this challenge—not only by highlighting the importance of nursing leadership and creativity, but by motivating nurses to channel their talents into older-person and dementia care.”

Nurses and nursing students in Sweden, Finland, Poland, Germany, Lithuania, the United States (through the University of Washington), and São Paolo State, Brazil are all eligible to apply for the award.

“At the Queen Silvia Nursing Award, we view nurses as the original healthcare innovators and problem-solvers,” Lu-Axelsson added.

Applicants are requested to submit ideas, concepts, or solutions focused on improving patient care for the elderly and older people living with dementia

“Often times, despite limited time and resources, nurses manage to find creative ways to make things work, while seldom receiving the recognition they deserve,” Lu-Axelsson said.

“We are committed to acknowledging nursing impact by elevating the voices of nurses and providing them with learning opportunities not usually reserved for the profession.”

The deadline for submission is November 1, 2021, while international winners will be announced on December 23, 2021, Her Majesty’s birthday. The award was originally launched in 2012.