The successful entries in the Critical Writing Prize 2019 were announced on Tuesday 14 May and a paramedic student at the University of Greenwich is one of the winners.
The annual prize, sponsored by Critical Publishing, is awarded for the best student essay demonstrating a high level of critical thinking. It’s open to undergraduate and postgraduate students of social work, nursing and education.
Sara Marr-Phillips, who is studying for a BSc in Paramedic Science, won in the nursing and allied professions category.
Sara said: “Being awarded a prize for critical writing is super exciting. Critical assessment of current literature is extremely important for clinical practice.
“I am really proud to have produced a piece that has implications for clinical practice in prehospital and hospital settings. Having feedback on my essay from Jane Bottomley was a particularly special moment. This prize will motivate me to keep working on and improving my academic writing throughout my course and into my career.”
Sara, who was nominated by her lecturer, Scott Goudie, has received Critical Publishing books to the value of £200 to mark her success.
Jane Bottomley, Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Senior Fellow of the British Association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes, and this year’s judge, commented about this year’s entrants, said: “I had the great privilege and pleasure to judge the Critical Prize this year. However, it was by no means easy to select winners from such a wealth of interesting, engaging, critical student writing!
“It is marvellous to be reminded of the quality of writing that is being produced by students in these hugely important disciplines. In the end, the winners were the ones who I felt brought everything – concepts, argument, evidence, criticality – together in a particularly elegant way, combining clarity of thought and persuasive writing.”
Julia Morris, Education Director at Critical Publishing added: “As the name of our company suggests, we value criticality and believe critical thinking should be a key attribute of effective professionals in education, nursing and social work. The Critical Writing Prize, now in its fifth year, both promotes and rewards excellence in this area and we continue to be amazed by the high levels of entries we receive from the professionals of the future.”
Sara’s winning entry, A Pain in the Neck: A Critical Review on the Efficacy and Risks of Cervical Spinal Collars in the Prehospital Environment can be read on The Critical Blog.