Solent supports nurses of the future
As International Nurses Day approaches, Solent University, Southampton highlights the role of higher education in training tomorrow’s nursing staff, as well as what it’s doing to boost local healthcare services.
Every year on International Nurses Day, nursing staff across England are celebrated for the vital role they play in individual and community health. At Solent, the Department of Social Sciences and Nursing is celebrating by paying tribute to pioneers, Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole, while offering free health and wellness checks to staff and students.
As a TEF triple Gold university, Solent continues to evolve its teaching offer to student nurses; taking advantage of the latest approaches to learning to deliver practical, future-ready skills.
With investment in high-quality, simulated learning experiences and a commitment to partnership working, Solent has continuously elevated and expanded its nursing courses since it became the first university in the Wessex Region to offer a Health and Social Care Nursing Associate course in 2017.
Sharon Guy, Solent University’s Academic Lead Nurse, says:
“Nurses drive care and the skillset they possess is required in so many industries to help support and maintain health and wellbeing. The career for a nurse today is so diverse; with every changing face of healthcare and the continual requirement to develop the nursing workforce, here at Solent we are actively making a valuable contribution to services both regional and further afield.”
Since 2018, Solent has added 350 nursing associates to the NMC register, and recently doubled its teaching capacity with a state-of-the-art Human Health Lab. Alongside this, Solent works in partnership with local trusts and NHS services, inviting partners to campus to learn more about their approach to learning and cultivate a strong foundation for partnership working.
This year, Solent celebrates its first cohort of graduating Mental Health nurses, a course introduced to meet regional demand and the developing needs of communities. An additional 25 graduates are being added to the NMC register, ensuring mental health services have the bespoke skillset needed to support the individual needs of patients.
Sharon says:
“I remain privileged and proud to be a nurse to this day. Our academic team at Solent have all seen and achieved so much, enhancing the richness of Solent’s education provision across all our nursing programmes.”
Find out more about Solent's nursing courses and degrees here.
