Institute of Health Updates

Hello everyone! 

2020 was a difficult year to be a student nurse, with 2021 marking its presense to have similar difficulties. There have been many barriers to practice, and uncertain times where we have been in the dark. We as student nurses have faced numerous challenges, and I applaud all of you for your hard work and efforts throughout. Whilst 2020/2021 has been a challenging year for student nurses. We have risen to the challenge and allowed our potential to shine through, developing ourselves into highly-competent healthcare professionals. All nursing students within the university have played their part to support the COVID response. Whether you was on placement, picking up extra bank shifts, or supporting a loved one through these uncertain times, you have played your part, and bringing hope that this will hopefully come to an end sooner rather than later.

It's been great to meet so many of you through this first semester, and whilst most meetings I would have preferred to have hosted in the Universities Starbucks, I thank you all for taking the time with meeting with me through Teams/Zoom. As a second year student nurse, this year has been challenging for me too. Alongside the placement duties, this role and completing assignments, I completely emphasise with students who are feeling tired and run down. Please reach out, and utilise the services in place to support you if required.

I am immensely proud to be working with each and every one of you, and whilst I’ve only been in post since September, we’ve seen some amazing positive changes happen at the university, which will not only influence yourselves, but for cohorts in the future. Regardless of whether this is your first year or last, thank you for being the eyes and ears of your cohort, for raising concerns but for also raising the positives at the university too.

• We’ve started monthly meetings with practice leads to ensure any concerns are being ironed out
• We are building strong and proactive relationships with our course leaders and FEHW staff.
• We are leaning towards an approach where we support each other as peers – in both practice and theory.
• We have discussed the need for a proactive personal-tutor:student working relationship
• Issues with student finance and the Learning Support Fund have been rectified.
• The university have agreed to increase uniform allowance for student nurses

Thank you all for your hard work as always. I look forward to posting another blog update in the coming months.

 Chris x

Hi fellow nursing students,

We have entered unprecedented times and will continue to, I'm sure, experience many firsts, as we progress through the coming weeks and months.

My role as School Rep is to make sure that your questions and concerns are being addressed by school leaders, particularly in light of the recent move to online lectures.  The last thing I want is for nurse students to feel isolated, alone and unsure of what is going on.

I will be submitting the following questions / comments to our school leadership, based on student concerns I have heard so far:

1. If I choose to withdraw, or am unable to continue on placement, due to my own or family health issues, or childcare issues when the schools close - what will happen to the hours I have missed.  

2. I am being used as a Healthcare Assistant as my placement area is busy.  The number of learning opportunities have dropped significantly.  I am now an unpaid HCA rather than a student nurse.

3. We are not being offered fitting for PPE as we do not have an NHS email address to book ourselves in.  There is also over a week's wait to be fitted.

4. What happens if we are pulled out of placement - what happens to the hours we will have lost?

5. What is happening with the proposal to register 3rd year students early?  

6. Students seem to be getting 'this is what you signed up for' if they raise concerns about the quality of learning that is taking place in placement / will likely take place throughout the course of the pandemic, 'I feel like I'm losing the love for nursing even before I get me PIN.  I DID NOT sign up for a global pandemic'. 

I will be submitting your feedback to school leaders, on a continuous basis - please DON'T KEEP YOUR CONCERNS TO YOURSELVES submit your feedback so that we can get answers.

I'm signing off for now, but don't hesitate to get in touch via email.

Ruth