As our first cohort of student nurses have started their first practice placements, it seems like a good opportunity to reflect on their journey at Leeds Trinity University so far.  

Although their programmes officially commenced in January 2024, our nursing students were invited to join the Leeds Trinity University community a little earlier by participating in an innovative new ‘Autumn School’ – held in November and December 2023 – in our new, purpose-built Health and Life Sciences building. 

Over a period of four weeks, the Autumn School aimed to build belonging, nurture community and stimulate nursing scholarship. We aimed to enhance accessibility and inclusivity via travel reimbursement, on-campus accommodation and lunch vouchers. Alongside face-to-face delivery, virtual sessions were offered to ensure those unable to attend on campus could still participate and benefit from meeting their peers and the nursing academic team. Here is an overview of what we got up to:

Week one: Icebreakers and detective work 

After welcoming our students and some icebreaker activities, we jumped into a ‘who lives here?’ challenge in our community living flat. The students acted as detectives, using their observation skills – which are vital as part of holistic nursing assessments and enable nurses to build relationships with those they are caring for – to collect clues offering insights into the patient’s lifestyle, medical conditions and family circumstances. The medications discovered in the flat were also investigated, providing valuable insights into the patient's health conditions. 

Week two: Fun(damental) skills building 

The second week dove deeper into the fundamental skills of nursing. The students were challenged to change the bottom sheet of a bed occupied by our manikins, but without removing them from their warm beds! Students practiced their CPR technique while listening to ‘Staying Alive’ by the Bee Gees – the perfect song for aiding the correct chest compression rhythm. We finished by discussing the progression of nursing by exploring historical Nursing Times articles written between 1940 and 1980. How things have changed! 

Week three: Complaints, conflict resolution and chocolate rewards 

Week three entailed interactive workshops on resolving conflicts and complaints, introducing the group to valuable strategies and approaches for handling real-life challenges in healthcare. A lively treasure hunt around the health building added an exciting twist to the sessions; this not only helped students familiarise themselves with their environment, but also led to chocolate rewards for everyone involved! 

Week four: Navigating What3Words 

The final week saw us delve into the significance of the ‘What3Words’ app in aiding emergency services. The app has divided the world into 3m² segments and assigned each square a distinctive combination of three words, making it easier for users to identify precise locations. The students embarked on a ‘What3Words’ challenge, decoding images to generate three words to navigate across our Main Campus in Horsforth and answer questions specific to the location.  

Fantastic feedback and lasting memories 

We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from students who attended the Autumn School. The overall rating of the experience was 4.9 out of 5, with the vast majority saying they would recommend it to future nursing students. We also heard that having access to accommodation and financial support made a positive difference in their ability to take part in the Autumn School. By attending, students also said it made them feel they could be successful studying at Leeds Trinity; many highlighted the value of connecting with peers, academic nursing staff and the University itself.  

It was a real privilege for our lecturers to get to know some of our students ahead of welcoming our very first cohorts. We are already planning for our next Autumn School and the exciting activities we can offer to our future nursing students. 

Katy Hodgson is a Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing at Leeds Trinity University.