"The Covid-19 pandemic is requiring universities, student nurses and student midwives to work in exceptional ways. Around 430 of our final year students have ‘opted in’ to voluntary paid placement to support the NHS. These students have shown huge levels of maturity and professionalism during a period of enormous uncertainty.
"Choosing to express interest in a paid placement is entirely optional. I and my teams are doing as much as we can to support students who wish to contribute to the workforce while also respecting the requirements of their teaching programmes. Further, we are supporting a number of students who either cannot or do not wish to opt for a paid placement opportunity.
"Final year nursing students have automatically been awarded an extension for their final theory assessment from the original submission date. Students can request a further extension if required. Alternatively, students can choose to defer the submission of this assessment until the end August. In the case of student midwives, the Nursing and Midwifery Council has stipulated that if volunteering for paid employment, Student Midwives must continue to achieve the outcomes that will allow them to complete their programme. In the case of student nurses the same expectations are required. Personal Development Tutors within the School of Health & Social Care are helping both student nurses and student midwives make decisions about the best time to submit theory assessments.
"Finally, as paid placements are voluntary, students have been made aware of the options to choose to take a normal Placement Learning Experience at a later date when the crisis is over."