University News Last updated 11 August 2011
A serving soldier has been named as one of Birmingham City University’s ‘Students of Excellence’ at a recent awards ceremony.
Corporal Paul Kennedy, who is serving in the Queen Alexandra Royal Army Nursing Corps, Portsmouth, was presented with the Wing Commander P.E.H Thomas Memorial Trophy at the University’s Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences awards ceremony on Friday 22 July which was held at the Botanical Gardens, Edgbaston, Birmingham, where the guest speaker was Barbara Kuypers, West Midlands Local Supervising Authority Midwifery Officer.
Each year the award is given to a military student who has excelled in mentoring and supporting fellow students. Corporal Kennedy was studying at the Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences for a Diploma in Mental Health Nursing and will now work as a Community Mental Health Nurse within a multi-disciplinary team made up of both military and civilian practitioners. He also plans to top up his qualification to a BSc (Hons) degree in Mental Health Nursing with a particular interest in psychotherapy. Ultimately, he hopes to become an accredited eye movement and reprocessing (EMDR) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) practitioner in the future.
Corporal Kennedy chose to study at the University because he had always been interested in the psychological aspects of mental health and wanted to help serving soldiers, sailors and airman with any difficulties they may have incurred throughout their military careers. Whilst on the course he had various placements including at an older adult ward, an intensive care unit, community placements and a placement where he worked with Military patients at the Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH) Portsmouth.
He said: “I have loved the course, and in particular the various strategies and tools I am now able to implement to enable the best possible outcome for my clients. I have a passion and great interest in the various psychological interventions I have been exposed to and look forward putting these into practice.
“I would recommend the course to others, because of the high-level expertise and support offered to students, which is second-to-none.
“I was very surprised to receive the ‘Student of Excellence’ award, as I had no inclination that I had been nominated, I am however very pleased and grateful.”
Professor Ian Blair, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences said: “This is the fifth year that the Health and Social Care Awards have been held, and this year the selection process has been more difficult than ever. The awards were created to provide formal recognition of the excellent efforts and achievements of our outstanding students, and to celebrate the relationships the Faculty has built with our practice partners”.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate all our award winners and wish them the very best for the future.”
Birmingham City University is running a major awareness campaign in the Midlands to demonstrate how it is upgrading the future of individuals and companies. To find out more visit www.bcu.ac.uk