Dougie Mac Inpatient Services win prestigious award from Keele University.

Dougie Mac Inpatient Services were named the winners in the Placement of the Year category in the 2025 Practice Placement Awards.

Rose Giles, Practice Development Lead Nurse at Dougie Mac, who oversees student placements from both Keele University and the University of Staffordshire, says the team are ‘proud and excited to have won’.

She said: “A big part of my role is to oversee student nurse placements and to make sure they are meeting their proficiencies and learning objectives. Students are usually with us for a six-week placement then return to university to do theory work. They have three or four placements a year which can be in a hospice, hospital or out in the community.

“We value the students that come to us. We are invested in them and treat them like a member of the team, so to be nominated by them just shows the support we give has been recognised.”

So far this year, Inpatient Services have welcomed 15 students on placements with two of our nurses – Kim Leadbeater and Hannah Ellerton – employed as full time nursing staff after successfully completing placements with us.

Rose continued: “To see the students grow in confidence and be a part of the hospice is great. Nurturing a workforce and growing our own staff is also important to us. This award is for all the hospice as we all play a part and all do our bit.”

In addition to the team award, trainee nurse associate, Danielle Green, also won the student nurse associate of the year award. She said, “It means the world to me to have won the Student Nurse Associate of the year award. I can’t believe that I was nominated and the kind words that went with the nomination. I appreciate being recognised for my hard work and I couldn’t do my course without the support of my amazing IPU team!”