Placement information

Our Biomedical Science and Nursing programmes include specialist placements throughout, find out more about them below. From professional placements and site visits to continuing professional development (CPD) sessions, our students benefit from a well-rounded and immersive learning experience.

Biomedical Science placements

In your second year you'll spend five weeks taking part in a Biomedical Science Employer-Led Challenge or on an external work placement, designed with support from our academic team, so you'll gain degree-relevant experience, sector knowledge, and valuable references and contacts to help guide your career decisions.

Our unique, on-campus Biomedical Science Employer-Led Challenge aims to enhance your employability skills by taking part in a real-life challenge provided by  local employers from the Biomedical Science sector. As well as developing your problem-solving skills, the challenge will see you experience full-time working conditions, so you'll also develop professional skills in areas such as time management, working to achieve aims and objectives and professional ethics.

Please note that our BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science degree does not include a work placement year, and any professional work placement experience accumulated during your studies will not count towards completion of the IBMS portfolio.

Female Biomedical Scientist using a microscope

Digital Nursing placements

Our Nursing students undertake a four-week digital placement, where they learn all about how digital healthcare supports the NHS and clinical practice. This placement is a great experience to start finding your feet with your electronic portfolio, understand the connections between how care can be delivered in our modern world, and start to work with our Experts by Experience. 

Our Experts by Experience are a group of people who have their own personal experiences of healthcare and accessing health support. They work with the teaching team, to develop the programme, offer advice and share their experiences in some of the modules.

A female and male nurse walking in a corridor, with another female nurse in the foreground.

Bringing Nursing Practice to Life: How simulation is transforming student learning

What does it really feel like to be responsible for a group of patients on a busy hospital ward? During March, our second year Nursing students didn’t just talk about it, they lived it.

As part of their programme, students took part in an immersive simulation week designed to recreate the realities of clinical practice. Working in teams, they managed a simulated ward environment, caring for multiple patients whose conditions evolved over time.

From recognising early signs of deterioration to escalating concerns, documenting care, and planning for discharge, students experienced the full journey of patient care safely, but realistically. 

Simulation offers something unique: the opportunity to practise complex clinical decision-making without risk to patients. Students consistently highlighted how valuable this was:

“It’s been really good… being put into situations to assess how we would deal with it in terms of critical thinking.”

Image of our Nursing students.

Learning through experience

The structure of the week allowed our students to build confidence gradually, moving from initial assessment through to managing competing priorities across multiple patients. For many, this was a turning point:

“At the beginning, it was hard, but as the days went on… things started to fall into place, and it enhanced my knowledge and skills.”

Developing real-world skills

A key focus of the week was documentation and clinical reasoning, essential skills for safe nursing practice.

Students explored what it means to document clearly, accurately, and professionally:

“Able to document in a way that someone can understand and build on it.”

They also practised escalation and communication:

“I’ve learned how to prioritise deteriorating patients and escalate care timely… and communicate with relatives around sensitive topics.”

These are not abstract skills, they are the foundation of safe, effective patient care.

Working as a team

Simulation also provided an opportunity to work collaboratively, mirroring the multidisciplinary nature of healthcare.

Students took on different roles within the team, including leading care, supporting colleagues, and contributing to decision-making.

As one student put it:

“Working with the team… taking assessments and planning what to do is better than talking about what to do.”

Safeguarding and professional responsibility

Beyond clinical skills, students also explored complex areas such as safeguarding and professional accountability.

Through simulated case discussions, they learned the importance of evidence-based decision-making:

“It’s taught me not to jump to conclusions… and to be factual and objective.”

A realistic ward experience

Perhaps the most powerful feedback came from how real the experience felt:

“I loved it… it was acted as an actual ward.”

“It felt like I was on a real ward.”

This sense of realism is key. It helps students bridge the gap between classroom learning and clinical practice, preparing them for placement and, ultimately, registration.

Investing in the future workforce

This work highlights the value of the University’s investment in simulation facilities and teaching expertise.

By creating environments that replicate real clinical settings, we are enabling students to:

  • build confidence
  • develop critical thinking
  • practise safely
  • prepare effectively for placement

Simulation is not just about equipment; it is about designing meaningful learning experiences that shape future professionals.

What’s next?

This simulation week is part of a wider, three-year approach to developing nursing students, supporting them as they progress from:

  • learning to practise safely
  • to managing patient care
  • to leading within healthcare systems

As we continue to evolve this approach, we remain committed to providing innovative, high-quality learning experiences that prepare students for the realities of modern healthcare.

Simulation Weeks

Our Experts by Experience also get involved in our Simulated Practice Learning weeks. These happen every year, each year group will have a week spent in our simulation suite, which is made up of a clinical hospital ward setting, a skills lab, a high-dependency room, and a simulated flat environment.  So, we can focus on hospital and community situations. 

These weeks are great experiences for staff and students and this time adds to the number of hours you need to clock up in placement. You will get to interact with our patient manikins and simulators, start to learn and practice your clinical skills, and work as a team.

Image of first year Nursing students taking apart in a simulation week.

First-Year Simulation Practice Learning Week

Image of first year Nursing students taking apart in a simulation week.

In September 2025, our first-year Nursing students took part in an engaging, inclusive, and impactful simulation week, designed to build confidence, foster psychological safety, and develop essential clinical and interpersonal skills across all four fields of nursing practice. 

Throughout the week, our students embarked on immersive scenarios across Adult, Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, and Children's Nursing, which included:

  • Preparation and research
  • Role allocation and planning
  • Live simulation using SMOTS cameras for observation and feedback
  • Structured debriefing and reflection
  • A ward-based escape room challenged students to solve clinical puzzles collaboratively 

This format allowed students to experience both participation and observation, enhancing their understanding of clinical decision-making, safeguarding, communication, and documentation. 

The week exemplified our commitment to experiential learning, student wellbeing, and field-specific preparation - ensuring our future nurses are not only clinically competent but also emotionally intelligent and team-ready.
Image of second year Nursing students at their simulation week.

Second Year Simulation Practice Learning Week

Image of second year Nursing students at their simulation week.

Our second-year Simulation Week is a step up in complexity, expectation, and autonomy. In October 2025, our second-year students were immersed in realistic, high-pressure scenarios that demanded critical thinking, teamwork, and compassionate care, while the week was designed to challenge their clinical reasoning, communication skills, and professional confidence across all four fields of nursing practice.

Students took part in the following:

  • Dedicated preparation time to research conditions, allocate roles, and plan care 
  • Live simulation sessions supported by facilitators and SMOTS camera technology for observation and feedback
  • Structured debriefs to consolidate learning and explore emotional responses.

Scenarios were designed to reflect real-world complexity, including deteriorating patients, safeguarding concerns, communication with distressed relatives, and multi-agency coordination. 

Enrichment sessions pushed students further into empathetic and emotionally intelligent practice. Highlights included: 

  • A ward-based escape room to test clinical knowledge and teamwork
  • A MYEPAD session to support documentation and reflection
  • A powerful Experts by Experience (EbyE) session where students supported patient actors through:
  • MRI preparation: explaining procedures, managing anxiety, and building trust
  • Emergency surgery preparation: navigating consent, reassurance, and clinical explanation 

Students were tasked with researching procedures, anticipating patient questions, and adapting communication styles, skills essential for safe, person-centred care. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many students commenting that “it all made sense by the end.” 

The week exemplified the transition from student to practitioner, where knowledge meets empathy, and preparation meets performance. 
Image of Trainee Nursing Associates on their Simulation Week.

Trainee Nursing Associates

Image of Trainee Nursing Associates on their Simulation Week.

October 2025 also saw our first-year Trainee Nursing Associate students taking part in a dynamic two-day simulation experience designed to mirror the realities of clinical practice in an A&E setting. The simulation was structured around realistic shift patterns, enabling students to develop and apply essential skills in prioritisation, delegation, communication, and documentation. 

Day 1: Acute Care Simulation 

The first day focused on admissions and clinical escalation. Students managed a range of patients including: 

  • A 45-year-old with chest pain
  • A 19-year-old with self-harm injuries
  • An 80-year-old with confusion and suspected UTI 

The trainees were challenged with unexpected curveballs, such as a new ambulance arrival involving a non-verbal adult with learning disabilities and a fall in the waiting area. These scenarios required our trainees to adapt quickly, communicate effectively, and make safe, inclusive decisions under pressure. 

Day 2: Communication and Discharge Planning 

Day two began with reflective practice and emotional check-ins, followed by a shift focused on complex discharge planning. Students navigated scenarios involving: 

  • A 70-year-old recovering from a fall and living alone
  • A 1-year-old infant with suspected bronchiolitis 

Trainees engaged in multidisciplinary coordination, advocacy, and family communication, including managing a concerned relative who challenged the discharge plan. 

Throughout the experience, trainees rotated through roles, collaborated with facilitators from various fields, and participated in structured debriefs to consolidate learning. The simulation was supported by a dedicated team of staff, actors, and facilitators who brought the scenarios to life. 

This innovative simulation experience not only enhanced clinical competence but also fostered confidence, teamwork, and reflective practice, key attributes for future nursing associates.