UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 08 APRIL 2020
Hundreds of Birmingham nursing students are set to join the frontline battle against COVID-19.
Nearly 300 student nurses from Birmingham City Universitywill be taking up positions within the NHS to support the nation-wide effort to stem the spread of the virus.
Approximately 95 per cent of the University’s student nurses, currently in the last six months of their studies, have offered their services for an extended placement with the health service to support the fight against Coronavirus.
Placements will operate for six-months, and students will be employed directly by the NHS but also remain students at the University.
The students will take up their roles at the local NHS Trust where they will be tasked with working four days per week and given one-day’s protected learning time to ensure they remain on track with work for their degrees.
Most students will be working at hospitals across Birmingham and Solihull with some working at Trusts closer to their homes.
Professor Carol Doyle, Head of Birmingham City University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery, said: “We are extremely proud of all of our students whether or not they are going into practice during this challenging period.
The news follows the University’s donation of over 1,000 items of personal protective equipment, which can be used by key workers during the pandemic.