Monday 01 June 2020
Increased interest in the island's nurse training scheme shows that the value of nursing as a profession in Guernsey has been made clear by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Institute of Health & Social Care Studies has already seen more people looking into its training course than previous years, and its leaders are optimistic that that will be realised in September with increased numbers.
The IHSCS, one of three member organisations of The Guernsey Institute, provides on-island professional nurse training for those looking to get into the profession.
Recently, the Institute was published as one of a number of case studies looking at how higher education institutions take steps to look after their student's mental health. This was part of a wider study conducted by the Council of Deans, after a reported rise in mental ill-health in the general student population.
Tracey McClean, Head of the IHSCS, said:
"The paper we had published outlined how we were keen to allow our students to take preventative measures in regard to their mental health, rather than reactive ones. Some students were not clear about what they could do to support their own mental health and wellbeing, and so we took a number of actions to raise awareness about the opportunities available, and why each was useful.
"One of the key actions we took as part of the programme was the development of a visual wellbeing route map. The result was a visual representation of sources of help for students. We also devised a developmental wellbeing module to be taught as part of our three year course."
The push to improve wellbeing across the IHSCS has proven successful, as all of the students who have now completed the first year of this new module reported an improvement in their wellbeing via the Robertson Cooper resilience test.
All of those students also said they wanted to continue the module going forwards, where it will look at new subject areas like work/life balance, sleep hygiene and conflict in teams.
Jacki Hughes, Executive Principal of The Guernsey Institute, said:
"We are extremely happy to see the recent surge in positivity around nursing, which we believe may translate to a greater interest in joining the profession going forwards. Nurses themselves have proved over the last few months how important they are to society, and the work the IHSCS do to provide the island with professionally trained nurses is also invaluable. It is equally as pleasing to see that value recognised by the Council of Deans."
The IHSCS is still open to applications for the pre-registration nursing degree in September 2020. Those interested can contact Samantha.smedley@gov.gg for further information and an application form.
