A married mother of three and full-time carer, Patrina Loughran sets a remarkable example of dedication and advocacy as she graduates the top of her class from Queen’s University Belfast with a degree in Learning Disability Nursing, and the highest result across the whole nursing cohort.

Along with fulfilling many responsibilities in her home life, Patrina has excelled academically while also transforming the student experience at Queen’s. As Chair of the Student Voice Committee, she worked tirelessly to support her peers, develop a sense of community, and advocate for positive changes within the school. 

Patrina’s journey into nursing began with hesitation. Having worked in a care home for adults with learning disabilities, she felt drawn to the field but worried about starting university as a mature student:

“I was actually petrified. I nearly felt foolish thinking of starting a career at this point and only applied on the UCAS deadline day, but from the moment I started the course, I knew it was the right decision.”

Patrina’s fears quickly subsided thanks to the supportive environment she found in Queen’s School of Nursing and Midwifery. 

She earned multiple awards during her studies including the Foundation Award in learning disabilities her first year, in her second year she was awarded the Shymol Thomas award for innovation in nursing and the Academic Excellence Award for achieving top grades among a cohort of nearly 280 nursing students, and in 2024, she was nationally recognised as Royal College of Nursing’s Student Nurse of the Year. 

Outside the classroom, Patrina found that her fellow students naturally gravitated to her for support with things that spoke to her organised personality traits. This led to her becoming a peer mentor, publishing several blogs, creating a fun guidebook for first year students preparing for placement, and sharing some incentives and recommendations with the University School to help fill some support gaps for fellow students. 

It was then one of the School’s staff recommended she put herself forward for the Student Voice Committee which she went on to chair. 

Speaking of her time in Queen’s, Patrina reflected:

“The staff and my classmates were fantastic. They acted as my cheerleaders every step of the way which allowed me to be myself and gave me the confidence to make the most of every opportunity. I never dreamt I’d excel in this course, let alone win awards! 

“I started as a peer mentor because I remembered the feelings of dread I had, and I wanted to ensure new students felt supported and welcomed and to realise we’re all here to help each other. 

“As Committee Chair, I felt that if we are going to work together in the future, we all need to get into the habit of boosting each other now using our individual strengths to foster a sense of pride and positivity.”

Now working as a Staff Nurse in a residential home for children with learning disabilities, Patrina is already applying the knowledge and skills she gained during her degree and continues to take on new challenges, such as co-leading the Royal College of Nursing’s Newly Qualified Nurse Network. 

“Nursing has given me a future I’m excited about, and I’m grateful to have found something I love and hopefully I can inspire others to step out of their shell and be their brilliant selves.”

Media

For media enquiries contact comms.office@qub.ac.uk