Adult nursing students from Wiltshire College & University Centre are gaining valuable hands-on experience at Salisbury District Hospital as part of their T Level placements.
The second-year students are currently completing their second hospital placement, putting into practice the skills they first developed at the college’s Salisbury campus. There, the purpose-built Health Zone includes a replica ward designed to mirror the clinical environment.
Wiltshire College T Level students gain hands-on nursing experience on wards at Salisbury District Hospital through industry placements.
The two-year T-Level course combines classroom learning with at least 315 hours of industry placement. During their first year, students worked in care homes before moving on to hospital wards, including a first placement before Christmas and a second this term.
Lauren Bueno De Mesquita, 17, said the college’s simulated ward had helped her feel prepared.
“The ward at the college is really helpful because it taught me little things like how to raise the beds,” she said, “If I’d come in without that I wouldn’t have had any idea about the general environment of a bay, I probably would have found it really overwhelming.”
Lauren, from Salisbury, is currently working on Pembroke Ward, caring for patients with cancer and blood diseases, and previously spent time on Britford Ward supporting post-surgery patients.
“I’ve really enjoyed both of them and I’ve learnt more skills that I’m able to put into practice independently,” she said, “I feel much more confident.”
Milly White, 19, also from Salisbury, said practising on lifelike mannequins had been helpful before moving into a real clinical setting.
“I’ve learned much more here, mainly how to talk to the patients, because we go from talking to a dummy at college to a real-life person,” she said.
Her placements have included Imber Ward, supporting older patients, and the spinal ward. During her first week, she witnessed a crash team responding to a patient emergency.
“It was my first week and it was crazy how everyone worked together so well and so fast paced,” she said, “You can’t talk about it enough in the classroom to actually understand what it is like, you have to witness it.”
Fellow student Lilly Davies, 17, said she enjoys building relationships with patients and staff.
“I like interacting with everyone, nurses, doctors and patients,” she said, “Sometimes patients will say ‘oh, you need to do it like this’ and the fact that they can show you is pretty cool.”
Lizzy Northam, 17, said the practical experience at college gave her a strong foundation.
“It was really helpful knowing the theory and having some sort of hands-on experience with taking observations and manual handling,” she said.
Chrisvin Sanu, 18, from Old Sarum, added that working alongside experienced staff had been invaluable.
“The staff work as a team and are all helpful and honest with me,” he said, “I have a good relationship with the staff, as well as the patients.”
Louise Wood, Healthcare Development and Relationship Lead at the college, said the placements help students confirm they are on the right career path.
“It’s completely valuable in every way to build their confidence and to ensure that they’re on the right path,” she said, “They can be sure that they’re choosing the right thing for themselves at quite an early stage.”
She added that feedback from the hospital has been positive and has strengthened the partnership.
“It’s been fantastic and everything we hoped it would be, our students are getting incredibly valuable experience and it’s setting them up for their future career,” she said.
This is the first cohort of T-Level students from the college to complete hospital placements. Following its success, a new mental health nursing T Level will launch next year.
For more information about health qualifications, visit www.wiltshire.ac.uk.
