NURSING students and staff at a Scottish university feel “valued, energised and motivated” after receiving a letter from the First Minister and chief nursing officer.

Nicola Sturgeon and Fiona McQueen responded to the student president at Dundee University’s School of Health Sciences to praise student nurses' hard work and dedication during the most testing time in the history of the NHS.

Carike Barnardo had written to the pair inviting them to recognise the work of her peers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Earlier this year more than 300 final-year nursing students at the university graduated early and took up paid placements to help fight the virus, while others chose to complete their Year 2 studies in practice to help increase NHS capacity.

Addressing the 1400 students at the School of Health Sciences, Sturgeon praised those in Dundee and across Scotland for their efforts.

READ MORE: Covid in Scotland: New rules when students return to universities

“This year the Covid-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on us all, and we are extremely grateful to our highly skilled nursing students who stepped up in an hour of need. Your extraordinary hard work, dedication, skills and commitment helped pull our health service through an exceptional time.

“Some of your colleagues have now joined the workforce permanently, others of you have continued with your programmes and are working hard to complete your studies, and many of you have just started on this journey to become the health professionals that Scotland will need for the future.

“I know that it has been difficult, and that many of you have family or other caring responsibilities as well as your nursing programmes.”

She added: “No matter what stage you are at in your career the people of Scotland will always remember our nurses are the lifeblood of the health service, and every day you work towards helping others. That is something truly admirable, and I thank you for your hard work and dedication, and wish you well in your career.”

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McQueen added that she has been “very proud” of the response of the nursing and midwifery professions during the challenge, describing their actions as “exemplary and inspiring”.

Barnado shared the response across social media and says it has been greatly appreciated by students.

She said: “Students and staff have been working so hard over the past year that they really deserved to be thanked and I thought there would be no better person for those thanks to come from than the First Minister.

“I thought it was worth a shot but, to be honest, I didn’t think we would get a reply due to the pressures of the pandemic so I was delighted to receive this lovely, heartfelt letter. It has gone down very, very well with the students. Many have commented that it has made them feel valued, energised and motivated.”