Practice makes perfect. Health students brush up their skills with concentrated clinical ‘classes’

Health students are just a half hour from having extra clinical confidence thanks to a new initiative at University of Northampton (UON).

They can choose from a selection of skills boosting, half hour sessions that give them extra time to practice clinical treatment essentials.

UON Health students are already taught and have demonstrated a range of practical skills such as taking a blood sample from a patient or inserting a catheter, in class and when they have a clinical placement.

Now, students from UON’s Midwifery, Nursing and Paramedic courses from all years of study can book a station for 30 minutes during a lunchtime to put extra time into fine honing that clinical skill.

The practice station is all ready to go when they arrive, having already been set up by Faculty of Health, Education and Society’s technician team. This includes an iPad with further information and video demonstrations in case the students need a refresher.

When their half hour is up, the students can book to practice the same skill again or book onto another one.

A Health student practices venipuncture (taking a blood sample).

Adult Nursing student Belinda Gabriel-Dugbo is one of the people who signed up to fine hone her catheterisation skills. She says: “I booked the session because I wasn’t 100 percent certain of how good I was with this procedure. I found it enlightening and the instructional video was quite detailed, so I’m feeling more confident now.”

Kate Ewing, Clinical Simulation Lead at the University of Northampton, is the lead for this new initiative. She explains: “At the University of Northampton, student support is at the heart of our teaching and learning approach. For Health students, this means providing dedicated time to refine the essential skills they’ll use in patient care.

“I have taught clinical skills in both university and practice settings for many years and understand the importance of providing student opportunities to gain experience and practice in relation to developing skill proficiency.

“These new clinical skills practice sessions have been designed based on student feedback, focusing on areas where they feel more practice is needed. By enhancing their skill development, we’re aiming to better prepare them for their future roles and we look forward to extending this opportunity to other Health students soon.”

See our website to find out more about our undergraduate courses in Midwifery, Nursing and Paramedic Science.