University News Last updated 10 February 2014
Nursing students from Birmingham City University will make their television debut this week as part of an ITV series following the day-to-day working lives of student nurses.
From hairdressers to grandmothers, 'Student Nurses: Bedpans to Bandages' follows the diverse backgrounds and lives of trainee nurses in Birmingham and Manchester, with all the pressures, emotions and challenges they face both in training and on the wards.
The series offers an insight into what it takes to become a nurse in the 21st century, uncovers the motivation behind the student nurses' dreams and shows the challenges they face on a daily basis juggling academic study with home life and work on the wards.
Four Birmingham City University students will be appearing in the series: TK, a father of two has discovered his dream career in child nursing and is filmed on placement at Birmingham Children's Hospital. Whilst second year adult nursing student Aimee realised her dream to be become a nurse after working in a care home for the elderly with dementia. And 48-year-old grandmother, Diane first trained as a hairdresser, before swapping scissors for psychology as a mental health nurse.
Mature student Dany is picking up on a career she began training for three decades ago. Her first shot at nursing was cut short by illness, but her teenage dream never left her. She's now in her second year studying adult nursing at Birmingham City University. She said: "When I started at 19, I was nothing like I am now. I was shy, I wouldn't have said boo to a goose. Now, 30 years later, I can't believe I'm back doing what I started."
Training to become a nurse is a far cry from the admin jobs Dany had in the past. She says: "I've had lots of office jobs but this is so different, you're more responsible for other people. It's not like if I make a mistake on the computer it's going to affect somebody's life."
Revealing her motivations for becoming a nurse, she adds: "In my previous job, by the time I left it, I wasn't getting any job satisfaction. But, you've only got to get one person who's appreciative of the care and that is enough sometimes during the day to make it worthwhile."
Louise Toner, Associate Dean at Birmingham City University's Faculty of Health, said: "Training to be a nurse has changed dramatically since the early days of the NHS. Greater demands and added responsibility make it harder to qualify than ever before. At universities all over the country, a new generation of nurses is being born and Birmingham City University is delighted to be part of this series, sensitively portraying the reality of being a nursing student, whilst accurately reflecting the close partnership that exists between the Faculty and all of our NHS settings."
'Student Nurses: Bedpans to Bandages' starts on Friday 14 February on ITV1, 8pm.
Further information on nursing courses available at Birmingham City University