Healthcare graduates boost local NHS

The University of Hull’s largest ever cohort of healthcare graduates, who will be celebrating today, are set to provide a boost to the NHS – and the majority will be working for local health services and hospitals.

The boost to the NHS comes at a time when nursing and midwifery students have welcomed the Government announcement that guaranteed, additional support of between £5,000 to £8000 each year – which they will not need to pay back – will be available from this August.

More than 300 nurses, and other allied health students such as midwives, operating department practitioners*, physician associates and the University’s first-ever nursing associates, are graduating today as part of the University’s degree ceremonies (Thursday 17 to Friday 18 January).

This week’s ceremonies at the Bonus Arena in Hull demonstrate how the University is developing skilled, knowledgeable and compassionate healthcare professionals who provide high-quality care.

The breadth of our healthcare courses continues to grow – we now offer a range of healthcare apprenticeships, a degree course to train much-needed paramedics began in 2017, and the University has also introduced a degree in physiotherapy to tackle regional staff shortages.

Our graduates make an outstanding contribution to improving the health of the people in our region and beyond, evidenced by the fact that for four consecutive years 100% of operating department practitioners, nursing, midwifery and medical graduates have been in employment or further education within 6 months.**

Stephanie Coker, who graduates today with a BSc in Nursing (Adult), said: “Studying at the University of Hull has given me more confidence in myself as a mature student. I especially enjoyed the variety of placements – and passing the assignments helped me to believe in myself.

“My dissertation was based on a real life situation within the community, an experience I will not forget. I now have a full time role in cardiac care which is challenging but very rewarding as a nurse.”

Professor Julie Jomeen, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Hull, said:

“Congratulations to all our graduates, we are immensely proud of their achievements and of the contribution they make in local healthcare services and hospitals.

“We are also delighted that the University’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Hull York Medical School are continuing to help to build the skilled workforce required by the NHS to deliver the highest standard of healthcare in our region.

“It is my sincere hope that anyone who has a dream of becoming a nurse or midwife will be encouraged by the new funding that has been pledged to all new and continuing degree-level nursing and midwifery students and some other allied health students from September 2020.”

The University’s new degree programme in physiotherapy, starting in September 2020, will further strengthen the University’s healthcare provision and has been developed at the specific request of local healthcare providers to meet a critical shortage of physiotherapists. This follows the successful launch of BSc Paramedic Science in 2017 to meet a critical local shortage of paramedics – part of the University’s mission to improve the health of people living in the region and beyond.

Graduation week sees 1,202 students graduate in five ceremonies at the Bonus Arena, joined by more than 6000 guests across two days of the University’s graduation ceremonies.

* Operating department practitioners provide care before, during and after surgery.

** (Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education for the academic year 2016/17, published by HESA June 2018).