25/02/09
Healthcare students scoop top prizes for innovation
Nursing students from the Faculty of Health and Social Care Sciences have won three out of seven
top prizes in the Bright Ideas competition run by the WestFocus Entrepreneurship Centre
Now in its fifth year, Bright Ideas invites students to submit proposals for a new product or service, a social enterprise project, or a product or service improvement.
This year the competition attracted more entries than ever before. Students from across the WestFocus consortium (comprising seven universities across south and west London) submitted 139 entries in all including six from the Faculty.
Ideas were typically varied in origin and style including social enterprises, enterprise projects, and products and services with commercial targets. Online software solutions were popular. Other examples included healthcare products and a 'total care service' for elderly people.
The Bright Ideas final and prizegiving took place on 12 February at the University of Westminster’s historic Regent’s Campus. All entrants to the competition attended, with the hope of winning a share of the £11,000 of prize money.
Our three winners who received £1,000 each were:
- Nicole Byrne who presented a new method for reducing pain from venepunture for children. Nicola is studying Child Nursing
- Ingrid Marsden whose idea was to design a customised thermal product for use with premature infants at delivery. Ingrid was also the winner of the prize for the best idea in healthcare and is studying the BSc in Healthcare Practice
- Siegbert Mueller who developed a food advice guide for those using antibiotics. Siebert is studying Adult Nursing
Val Collington, Associate Dean for International Developments and Enterprise commented, “I was very impressed by our students' achievements. But I'm not surprised by how innovative and enterprising they are! Their ideas, put forward to improve aspects of patient care, clearly demonstrate how our students can play a vital role in contributing to future practice developments in healthcare. Their success will be an encouragement for others to participate in the competition in future.”
- See photographs of the Bright Ideas final and prizegiving event
- To find out more about the Bright ideas competition, contact Theresa Nash, Faculty of Health and Social Care Sciences, email t.nash@sgul.kingston.ac.uk
- Visit the WestFocus consortium website.
