The Coronavirus pandemic has forced us all to re-evaluate our appreciation for key workers and all of the brilliant work that they do on a daily basis. Nursing students in particular have shone during this period, being instrumental in the testing process and vaccine rollout; truly it has been a trial by fire for these aspiring individuals.
In another fantastic show of community spirit, six Swansea University first year nursing students based at Swansea University’s St David’s Park Campus have raised over £2400 to fund additional iPads for the Sunderland Ward at South Pembrokeshire Hospital in Pembroke Dock, where two of the students had previously held placement positions.
The students decided to act after hearing how difficult it was for the patients to contact their families, with the pandemic preventing hospital visits. Truly, the idea of being hospitalised without any contact from loved ones is an awfully sad reality in the pandemic era. As such, these six students (Shannon John, Ruth Morgan, Lisa Prest, Shanice Riley, Anna Griffiths and Aneesah Akbar) aimed to raise £1000 by holding a raffle of prizes and services gifted by local businesses. However, this target was soon demolished, as the figure grew to over £2400.
Shannon John, one of the students explained “We wanted to help because some patients hadn’t been able to contact their family since the pandemic started and we are just happy we could do something practical,” she added. “We are thrilled we had such a great response.”
Jayne Cutter, Head of Nursing at Swansea University, added “Being in hospital is stressful at the best of times, but being in hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic is even more so. The support of families and friends can make a massive difference to patients’ well-being and visiting time is the highlight of their day”. She continued heaping on the deserved praise, as she explained that the iPads had now been purchased and were now in use, connecting those hospitalised with their loved ones.
These six individuals have made a real difference to the hospital and their efforts should be celebrated: in a time in which they have been pushed to their limits, they have managed to help their community even further and this mentality will make them incredible nurses.
If you would like to find out more about nursing courses and how you can study in Carmarthen go to Adult Nursing (Carmarthen Campus), BSc (Hons).
