Menu

300 student nurses from UCLan sent to the Covid frontline at hospitals across the North West

Posted on - 17th February, 2021 - 10:29am | Author - | Posted in - Education, Health, Preston News, UCLan
Charlotte Campbell testing the swabs

Nursing students from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) are helping to fight Covid-19.

Advertisement

Almost 300 final year nursing students are being deployed immediately to seven health trusts across the North West region, adding extra manpower to the NHS frontline.

Advertisements
Preston Weekender advert

The undergraduates will spend up to 12 weeks in either full-time or part-time roles, depending on the number of theory and practical hours they have already completed as part of their degree programme.

Read more: Marquees will be part of queuing system for Preston’s new mass Covid vaccine hub

The nurses will undertake a range of duties including taking blood, dressing wounds, monitoring heart and blood pressure rates, inserting catheters, giving injections and escorting patients to scans.

Advertisements

For some, it will be the second time they have answered the Health Secretary’s plea for nursing students to lend their skills to local hospitals as they deal with record cases of Covid-19. 

Charlotte Campbell, from Stockport, has already started her second deployment at the Royal Preston Hospital.

Charlotte is working at Royal Preston Hospital

During the first wave, she worked on the medical assessment unit but this time she has been placed on a general surgical ward.

The 20-year-old, has also gained experience from volunteering in UCLan’s on-campus Covid-19 testing centre.

Read more: Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire coronavirus infection rates continue decline as 1.7million more people told to shield from Covid

Advertisements
barton manor gym

She said: “Last time, none of us knew what we’d be facing and it was testing for everyone but this time around I feel more comfortable knowing what to expect, what the patients will be like and what PPE and infection controls will be required.”

More than 100 students will be based at the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, nearly 80 at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. more than 40 at Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust and 30 at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The remaining nurses will be at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust and North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

Read moreArea-by-area Covid cases as city centre and one area of South Ribble show increases

The Nursing and Midwifery Council has introduced emergency regulation to ensure the students can work safely.

In April 2020, around 20 final year medical students and more than 300 final year nursing students from UCLan joined the NHS’ ranks to help with the first wave of Covid-19 cases.

Due to the large number of practical hours spent on the wards during that time, a number of those students have been able to graduate early and therefore start working as permanent qualified nurses.

Find the latest coronavirus stats in your area below



Read moreSee the latest Preston news and headlines

Share
Advertisements
caritas fostering advert
Preston in pictures 24.03.24 - Penwortham [Church of St Mary] 240323JPGDSC_7658 - Bus stationDSC_7676 - Miller ArcadeDSC_7681 - former Post Office, cenotaph and Town HallDSC_7682 - Central Methodist church, Lune StreetDSC_7668 - Fish (aka Box) MarketDSC_7672 - Miller ArcadeDSC_7674 - Miller Arcade View more Advertisement Subscribe to the newsletter

Sign up below to receive Blog Preston's email newsletter. It wings its way into inboxes every Sunday and Wednesday rounding up our top stories and more.

Advertisement News by location

Find news by location, select an area of your choice to be kept up to date with the latest goings on.

The Preston Guide

Discover local businesses and services near you.

    Advertisements
Advertisement Categories

Find news by category, select an category of your choice to be kept up to date with the latest goings on.

Blog Preston email updates

Receive our digest of the biggest and best stories every Sunday to your email inbox

We respect your privacy and you can unsubscribe at any time from our emails