COVID-19 - Keele and Staffs join the NHS frontline
Students on healthcare placements at Keele and Staffordshire Universities are being supported whilst they join the NHS frontline staff as nurses and paramedics. This collaboration has been made possible due to the project funded through the OfS Mental Health Challenge Competition, which includes refining referral pathways and strengthening relationships between higher education and the NHS.
The universities have been working to support these students to deal with some of the traumatic and challenging issues they may encounter. Resources have been created with input from Keele University’s occupational health department for students preparing to go on placement. Information toolkits have also been created on the support available to students (from their university and other sources) for personal tutors. These toolkits also give advice on how tutors should be engaging with students. The universities have identified the importance of timely support, as many students are working 12-hour shifts outside of typical working hours, additional support will be delivered by the universities for this purpose.
