2026 marks 70 years of Nursing Studies at the University of Edinburgh, a remarkable milestone for the first university-based centre for nursing education and research in Europe to reach. As Nursing Studies celebrates 70 years of leadership, innovation, and impact in nursing education and looks forward to educating the next generation, it has also been reflecting on its 70 years of history. As part of Nursing Studies’ commemoration of their 70th anniversary, we have launched the Nursing Studies Impact project, which seeks to document and reflect on the department's contribution, considering the past impact, present activity and future. The study includes graduates’ experiences and reflections on their career stories, alumni reach, and the exploration of Nursing Studies’ history through archives. In January and April 2026, we ran the first interactive Archival Workshops for all nursing students and staff. The workshops, facilitated by members of the University’s Heritage Collections, covered an introduction to the library collection, guidance on accessing materials and current work supporting research projects. The session included an interactive and fascinating display of health artefacts, including pictures, the Royal Infirmary Register Book, and others.Heritage Collections at the University of Edinburgh is the custodian of the University’s cultural heritage. They preserve, provide access to, and interpret the University’s diverse and unique collections and actively collect and document its heritage, including materials relating to Nursing Studies’ history. This includes University’s own materials and the Lothian Health Services Archive (LHSA) collection. Since 2025, the team has kindly facilitated access to these archival materials for the project, allowing nursing master's students to focus their dissertations on exploring the impact of nursing studies and their legacy. This project was inspired and supported by Professor Emerita Pam Smith and Visiting Professor Alison Tierney, both former Heads of Nursing Studies and outstanding academics at the University of Edinburgh, who have supported the archival work at the Heritage Collection, exploring nursing studies history in the Heritage Collection. It builds on the department’s 60th anniversary celebration, which focused on the “leaps in the dark” taken by Nursing Studies alumni, capturing their stories throughout its history. If you would like to know more about the Nursing Studies Impact project or the workshop, please contact Dr Lissette Aviles at ns_impactproject@ed.ac.uk Tags 2026 This article was published on Wednesday 14 October 2026
