The University of Hull’s first ever cohort of Paramedic Science students, who have celebrated their success this week at graduation, are set to provide a boost to local NHS and healthcare services.
The graduation ceremonies took place from Tuesday to Thursday and saw a total of 2,280 students graduating from the Class of 2020 including more than 600 healthcare students – many of whom worked on the COVID-19 frontline.
The graduation celebrations, at the Bonus Arena in Hull, demonstrate how the University is developing skilled, knowledgeable, and compassionate healthcare professionals who provide a high-level of quality care to members of the public.
The extent of the University’s healthcare courses continues to grow with the University now offering a range of healthcare apprenticeships, and the introduction of a Physiotherapy degree in 2020 to tackle regional staff shortages.
The Class of 2020’s Paramedic Science students have all successfully qualified as registered paramedics, many of whom are serving the local community with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service. They have all been successful in finding full-time roles.
Our graduates make an outstanding contribution to improving the health of the people in our region and beyond, evidenced by the fact that for two consecutive years 100% of nursing, midwifery and medical graduates are in employment or further education within 15 months.*
Nicki Credland, Head of Department of Paramedical, Perioperative and Advanced Practice in the Faculty of Health Sciences, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating the success of the first cohort of paramedic students to be graduating from the University of Hull this week.
“The paramedic science degree course was developed to address local skill shortages, so this is a significant achievement for the University and the region – and all our students who are graduating should be exceptionally proud.
“We also take a lot of pride in welcoming 50 new students to the course in September. We wish them every success so that they too can go on to become fully qualified paramedics, who will be an asset to local NHS and ambulance services in the future.”
Professor Paul Hagan, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Hull, said:
“We are incredibly proud of the achievements of all our graduates at the University of Hull. They have worked hard through some very challenging times – and achieved their goals, despite the impact of COVID-19. We are particularly proud of our healthcare graduates – many of whom have stepped up to provide a boost to the NHS during the most intense months of the pandemic – and will continue to make a much-valued contribution to local healthcare services and hospitals in our region.
“I also congratulate our first-ever cohort of Paramedic Science graduates – who will be providing much needed support for local healthcare services and who should also be very, very proud of their achievements.
“The University’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Hull York Medical School are committed to helping to build the skilled workforce needed by the NHS to deliver the highest standard of healthcare in our region – and we are delighted to see more than 600 healthcare students graduate in this week’s ceremonies.”
The University’s new degree programme in physiotherapy, which started in September 2020, will further strengthen the University’s healthcare provision, and was developed at the specific request of local healthcare providers to meet a critical shortage of physiotherapists.
Bethaney Nicholson, who has worked as registered nurse in ITU at Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby since August 2020; graduates this week with a BSc(Hons) in Adult Nursing.
Bethaney said: “I feel pleased to be graduating as it has been a very difficult year-and-a-half since the pandemic began. Graduation allows us all as a cohort to celebrate an amazing achievement and milestone in our careers despite the pandemic’s challenges.
“Sadly, I have lost patients due to Covid-19, but I have also seen some patients make remarkable recoveries and at graduation I will be thinking about those that I have lost and those who I have seen progress to discharge. If it wasn’t for the University of Hull, then I wouldn’t be in the position I am today as a registered nurse.
“I will remember my time at Hull for giving me the confidence to stand up and become a leader and a voice for nurses. I will remember my time at Hull for the knowledge and skills they have given me to enable me to be the practitioner that I am today, and for that I will be forever grateful.”
Graduation week welcomed thousands of guests at the Bonus Arena and hosted a total of 12 ceremonies across the three days, to celebrate the success of all graduates.
*UK domicile full-time first degree leavers; Higher Education Graduate Outcomes statistics, for the academic year 2018/19, published by HESA July 2021.