University of Portsmouth nursing educator hopes this International Nurses Day (Friday) will focus on the positives of the profession
Last week, Unions representing more than one million NHS workers voted to accept a five per cent pay rise from the government following months of strikes. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Unite rejected the offer, meaning members could decide to hold further walk-outs.
Lisa Hyatt, Course Lead for the Nursing (Adult) degree at the University of Portsmouth, hopes the focus this International Nurses Day (IND) will be a positive one.
She said: “While it’s important to shine a light on the contributions already being made in the NHS and private healthcare, it’s important to also commend the incredible work being done by educators and teachers across the country.
I would like to extend a thank you to our nursing educators and clinical practice partners for their dedication in supporting our student nurses.
"On this IND, I would like to extend a thank you to our nursing educators and clinical practice partners for their dedication in supporting our student nurses. Their work is instrumental in ensuring that we have a strong nursing workforce in the UK, capable of meeting the challenges of our healthcare system now and in the future.”
Last year the University of Portsmouth’s School of Health and Care Professions introduced an innovative placement opportunity to support students wishing to pursue a career in nursing.
Students required to do placements as part of their course have been able to complete practice or clinical hours in simulated practice at the Centre for Simulation in Health & Care.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) doubled the number of practice learning hours that can be carried out in simulation in 2021, as part of temporary Covid-19 recovery standards.
In 2022, the University of Portsmouth was one of 20 universities in England and Scotland involved in research to demonstrate the effectiveness of a further discretionary recovery standard permitting up to 600 hours of simulation in practice. Because of its success, the regulator decided to make the increase permanent as part of the new 2023 NMC standards for education.
“Simulated practice-based learning is developing student confidence and supplementing the learning they have in the traditional hospital ward or GP surgery”, explained Lisa.
“It gives them time to practice and reflect on technical and communication skills in a safe and supported learning environment.”
Year-2 student nurses complete their first two week simulated placement on Friday (12 May), with a special prize ceremony in celebration of International Nurses Day.
As part of the placement, they also played an integral role in the University's national disaster simulation exercise this week, undertaking a number of scenarios based on a major storm incident involving collapsed buildings, displacement of people and traffic accidents at locations around Portsmouth.