The first graduates with a nursing degree from CU Scarborough are set to start work for local NHS Trusts.

CU Scarborough’s Adult Nursing BSc degree was introduced three years ago to help tackle a shortage of nurses in the area.

Now 17 members of the first cohort will complete their studies in September and start a variety of roles across York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust. The rest of the cohort of 21 students will go on to join the NHS in different areas of the country.

Jade Cappleman is one of the students who started the course in 2018 and will begin a full-time role at Scarborough Hospital in September.

The mother of three says that without CU Scarborough she would not have been able to go into nursing.

She said: “When my son was young, he choked on a sweet. I didn’t know what to do and we nearly lost him but after that I was determined to get some basic health and safety skills behind me. I managed to get on a health and safety course at my work (Tesco), I was really inspired by it and wanted to help people, but I didn’t have the qualifications and I wasn’t able to move away to York, Hull or Leeds due to my family commitments.

“Then CU Scarborough announced this nursing course on my doorstep and helped me qualify for the degree through a Health and Human Sciences access course.

“Three years on I’m going into a role in the Acute Medical Ward at Scarborough Hospital. I’m looking forward to helping more people and making a difference.”

Jade’s fellow student Jessica Parsons will be taking on a community nursing role in Scarborough when she qualifies.

She said: “I was so grateful to Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust for offering me a placement within their community nursing team during my final year, as I felt drawn to this area of nursing since the first year of my studies and the experience so far has solidified that decision for me.

“I have a young family so working out in the community works so well for me and I’m loving every minute of it.”

All 21 of the nursing students volunteered to help the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with qualified nurse and Course Leader for Nursing, Janet Wilson.

Janet is now training more than 200 students through CU Scarborough’s Adult Nursing, Adult Nursing Blended Learning, Learning Disabilities Nursing, Mental Health Nursing and Nursing Associate courses.

CU Scarborough has also launched a new Nursing and Allied Health Professions Foundation course and Janet says diversifying the offer and improving access to education is key in helping fill the national shortage of 50,000 nurses.

She said: “We set up this course to help address the shortage of nurses in the Scarborough area and I’m so proud that all 21 of the current third-year students will be joining the NHS.

“I think what we are doing by widening the opportunities for people to get into nursing, through things like access and foundation courses, will help address the national shortage and the skills gap that we experience on our doorstep.

“There has been lots of publicity about healthcare and nursing throughout this pandemic. I think the public now realise how important nursing is and how complex the job is. We have had lots of applications for people to start this September and we hope to continue to help provide a pathway for people to join the local NHS.”

Polly McMeekin, Director of Workforce and Organisational Development at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to be working with CU Scarborough and creating this pathway.

She said: “The Trust’s successful partnership with CU Scarborough continues to go from strength to strength. Together we educate and train high quality, proficient nurses by stimulating, supporting and initiating excellence in practice, research and education, and by providing hands-on practical experience gained in a variety of clinical placements. This effective collaborative approach ensures our student nurses feel part of our workforce family from day one and enhances their overall learning experience.

“Our student nurses have been invaluable to us through the COVID-19 pandemic, and I am absolutely delighted that so many of the students have chosen to join us as they start their nursing careers.”