A PROFESSOR has joined the company of just 25 elite professionals after becoming the first European nurser to be inducted into the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame.

Brendan McCormack, Head of Division of Nursing at Queen Margaret University (QMU) in Edinburgh, was honoured at 2014 awards ceremony from Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI).

Professor McCormack is a renowned authority on the nursing of older people, person-centred nursing, and practice development.

His seminal work, Practice Development in Nursing, explores the basis of practice development, its aims, implementation and impact on healthcare.

Upon receiving his award, Prof McCormack stressed the importance of healthcare research on an international scale.

He said: "It's a real honour to have been welcomed into the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame, and to be the first European nurse to achieve this status.

"STTI is a global nursing organisation that promotes excellence in nursing leadership and to be recognised in this way is a privilege.

"It's critically important that nursing research has global reach and I am delighted my research has been considered in this way."