Laura Serrant facts for kids

Laura Maria Serrant (born 1963) is a famous British nurse and teacher. She is a Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University. A professor is one of the highest-ranking teachers at a university. She is also an important leader for nurses in the North East and Yorkshire area of England.

Early Life and Education

Laura Serrant was born in Nottingham, England, in 1963. Her parents were John Serrant and Eudora Toussaint. She made her family very proud by being the first person to go to university.

In 1986, she graduated from Sheffield City Polytechnic with a degree in nursing. At that time, it was a new way to become a nurse, as most nurses were trained in hospitals instead of universities.

A Career Helping Others

Professor Serrant has spent her career working to improve healthcare for everyone. She focuses on making sure all people are treated fairly and with respect, no matter their background. She has worked to improve how people understand serious illnesses like HIV and AIDS.

In 2010, she was part of a special group that gave advice to the Prime Minister about how to make nursing care better for patients.

Important Roles and Achievements

Professor Serrant has held many important jobs. She has been a professor at the University of Wolverhampton and Sheffield Hallam University. In 2018, she became the Head of the School of Nursing at Manchester Metropolitan University. This made her the only Black person to lead a nursing school at a university in the United Kingdom at the time.

In 2017, she was chosen to lead a group that advises England's National Health Service (NHS) on how to support nurses from different backgrounds. In January 2024, she became the Chair of Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, a hospital that cares for children.

In the Media and Arts

Professor Serrant is also interested in poetry and history. In 2016, she was in a BBC Four TV show called Black Nurses: The Women Who Saved the NHS. The show celebrated the important work of Black nurses in the UK.

She also appeared on a BBC Radio 4 show called Great Lives. On the show, she talked about why she admired the poet and activist Audre Lorde. A poem written by Professor Serrant, called "You Called ... and We Came," is part of the National Windrush Monument in London.

Honours and Awards

Professor Serrant has received many awards for her amazing work.

• 2014: The Health Service Journal named her one of the 50 most inspiring people from Black and Minority ethnic backgrounds working in the NHS.
• 2017: The Powerlist named her the eighth most influential Black person in the UK. She also received an honorary doctorate (a special award) from Abertay University.
• 2018: She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the Queen for her work in health.
• 2019-2021: She was included on the Powerlist for three more years in a row.
• 2021: She received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Nursing Times for her lifelong service to nursing.
• 2023: She was given a fellowship from the Royal College of Nursing, a very high honour for a nurse.