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Bucks and NHS trust join forces to address nursing shortage

Bucks and NHS trust join forces to address nursing shortage

Bucks New University and Bucks NHS Healthcare Trust are joining forces in a partnership which is set to tackle the national shortage of qualified nurses and resulting impact of high-cost agency staff.

Applications are now open for a three-year nursing degree programme at the University’s campus in Aylesbury, starting in September.

All nursing placements, which enable students to apply their knowledge in practice, are guaranteed to be at the Trust’s sites in Amersham, High Wycombe and Stoke Mandeville which serve a population of 525,000 across Bucks each year.

The University has trained more than 9,000 nurses over the last 25 years, and will continue to offer degree programmes from its Uxbridge Campus through ongoing partnerships with NHS Trusts in north-west London.

Carolyn Morrice, Chief Nurse at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “We are delighted to be extending our partnership with Bucks New University in the provision of a high quality adult nursing degree programme based in Bucks.

“As a provider of acute and community services, we are uniquely placed to be able to give students a wide range of experience across the County, supported by a team of committed and experienced staff during their studies. “

Work is underway to revamp the Aylesbury campus with state of the art simulation suites including life-like Life Cast Simulation mannequins; functioning hospital-like wards; real-life apartment for students to simulate community nursing; dedicated learning zone with digital technology, and moulage – the art of simulating mock injuries and ailments.

The campus, in Walton Street, has also included a rebrand, changing the name from ‘University Campus Aylesbury Vale’ to Bucks New University Aylesbury Campus.

Karen Buckwell-Nutt, Head of School for Nursing and Allied Health at Bucks New University said: “This is an exciting collaboration between the Trust and the University. We have partnered with the Trust for many years for placement experience for our Children’s nursing students, but now we offer adult and children’s nursing training, and placements, in Bucks.

“We are proud to cement our place as the county University providing employment and skills-based teaching for future nurses trained by Bucks, in Bucks, for Bucks.”

The programmes will be supported by Trust education staff and experienced nursing academics, including Catherine Forward who has lived and worked in Bucks within the nursing and education sector for the last 20 years.

The Aylesbury resident said: “Bucks New University is an exciting place to work and study and we support a diverse student community, whether it be age or background.

“This diversity is reflected in the planning and delivery of nurse education at the Aylesbury campus. Students can expect to address current public health issues as well as learn acute nursing skills.”

Bucks New University’s accolades include two 2019 Student Nursing Times Awards for Student Placement of the Year: Hospital, and Nursing Associate Trainee of the Year, and its dementia simulation teaching won Teaching Innovation of the Year Award last year.

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