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

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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