School of Sport and Health Sciences

The brass sign outside the new facilities

MP opens our new £200,000 skills lab

MP Caroline Ansell cuts the ribbon to open the new suiteEastbourne MP Caroline Ansell cut the ribbon on the University of Brighton’s new Multi-Professional Skills Simulation Suite which will help healthcare professionals to develop their skills in ‘real life’ scenarios.

The MP was joined by staff, students, apprentices and employers to watch demonstrations at the suite which forms part of the School of Health Sciences facilities on the university’s Eastbourne Campus.

A new electronic mannequin was used to show how a ‘patient’ with breathing difficulties is assessed on admission to hospital.

Senior Lecturer Karen Turley said: “These simulations are an ideal way for students and apprentices to learn, because if they forget one of the steps, no one is harmed – we just re-set the mannequin.”

student nurses using the faciltiesThe new technology allows for simulations to be live-streamed to groups of students and apprentices across the university’s campuses, which enables peer-to-peer assessments and efficient use of the suite.

Caroline Ansell said: “You can’t beat this kind of facility. We really need to invest in these kinds of skills and open doors to provide ladders of opportunity for people to come into one role, learn, build their experience and skills, and then go on to new, more challenging roles with more responsibility.

“This kind of learning fits squarely with keeping people developing as professionals, because therein lies not just the skills for the future but the really important sense of achievement for each and every healthcare worker and professional in the sector.” 

students using the faciltiesProfessor Debra Humphris, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, welcomed employers from East Sussex Healthcare Trust, including Barbara Gosden, Head of Clinical Education. Professor Humphris said: “A huge thank you to our fantastic employers, with whom we collaborate really closely to make all this happen.”

Podiatry apprentice Natasha Bassett demonstrated tests to detect blood flow to the foot and lower limb. Natasha’s mentor Helen Poppet-Jones, a specialist podiatrist in the East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “We live in a time where 10% of the population have or are developing diabetes, 10% of that population will then develop foot and lower limb wounds which puts them at very high risk of complications that result in amputation.”

Natasha is working as part of a multidisciplinary team that uses tests to monitor circulation in the lower limbs of people with these conditions, which has reduced amputation rates by 70%.

Occupational Therapy students and apprentices demonstrated moving and handling techniques to support people when transferring from different locations in their home; for example, from bed to chair, helping frail or recovering patients to complete meaningful everyday activities and improve their quality of life.

The School of Health Sciences has over 40 coursesThe brass sign outside the new facilities at undergraduate and postgraduate level, including apprenticeships in: Assistant Practitioner (Health), Nursing Associate, Occupational Therapist, Podiatrist and Advanced Clinical Practitioner roles.

A new degree apprenticeship route to a nursing degree will be launching in September 2020.

The university has a total of 359 apprentices on 12 programs across 8 academic schools, and is expanding the range of programs offered to reflect the needs of employers and the economy. The following degree apprenticeships will be new for September 2020: Academic Professional, ACCA Professional Accountant, Chartered Surveyor (Quantity Surveying), Construction Site Manager, Registered Nurse (Adult, Child, Mental Health pathways), Solicitor.

Find out more about our health apprenticeships.

Vice Chancellor Professor Debra Humphris MP Caroline Ansell and Viki Faulkner

 

Kerry Burnett • 06/03/2020


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