How college students are supporting KGH staff and patients in the Covid pandemic

Dozens of students from Tresham College are doing their bit in the Covid pandemic by supporting busy KGH staff and their patients.

The Rothwell Road hospital's ward host scheme, which launched on January 22, has 67 students aged between 16 and 35 helping with tasks and freeing up ward staff to concentrate on clinical care.

The students help staff with patients at meal times, make drinks and chat to them - providing them with company and making them feel less nervous in hospital.

And they're also helping with virtual visiting arrangements, helping patients use tablets to contact relatives as visiting is currently restricted.

Corby's Daisy Saunders, 17, is a Level 3 Year 2 student on Tresham College’s health and social care course.

She said: “We wear distinctive black T-shirts and work in a variety of wards and departments on shifts between 10am to 3pm or 4pm to 7pm. I am working in A&E where I help with things like providing patients with tea, water and food but mainly chatting with them and helping them to feel relaxed while they are in an unfamiliar environment.

“It is quite amazing what the effect a smile and a bit of a natter can have on people - especially those who have been isolating for a long time.

“I aim to do a degree and become a paramedic in the future and this is great preparation. I want to make a difference in people’s lives and help those that really need it.”

Students follow the same infection control and Covid-testing procedures as staff and are supervised to ensure safe working.

The scheme has been such a success that the KGH and Tresham College team are working to recruit more students to support it over the coming weeks and months.

Senior A&E sister Deborah Wale said: “We can be really busy in A&E and have lots of elderly patients. The student ward hosts are playing a really valuable role in providing company for our patients who may be quite nervous and also helping us by performing some of the tasks which take us away from clinical care.”

Student ward host Tricia Bonifacio, 19, is working on the hospital’s Sir Thomas Moore Ward.

She said: “I help serving meals, with the tea rounds, washing up, making the beds but I think one of the main things is talking to people. Patients really appreciate having that time. I want to become a nurse so it also has given me a real insight into what working in a hospital setting is really like.”

One of Tricia’s patients, 48-year-old Pete Chapman from Market Harborough, came to hospital after a relapse with his multiple sclerosis.

He said: “I had a good 20 minute chat with Tricia this morning. It’s really good to talk. It does give you a lift when you are alone in hospital.”

Sir Thomas Moore Ward sister Tracy Bees said: “It is great having that extra pair of hands to help with all of our everyday tasks. It really helps to take the pressure off. The students are all very keen, happy and smile a lot, which is lovely and helps to boost everyone’s mood.”

KGH’s head of education, Sheila Turner, said: “We contacted Tresham College at the end of December to ask if their health and social care students would take part in an industry placement role to support our ward staff during the current period of significant Covid-related pressure on the hospital.

“We have worked closely with the college to fit students to our ward host role which is really helping us to maximise our support for patients and our own staff at this difficult time.

“Together we have developed an induction process where students are briefed in food hygiene, risk, and hospital procedures.

“They have been taught and assessed to wear appropriate PPE to the areas they are working in which include eight wards, A&E, pathology and physiotherapy.”

Sarah Nolan, head of health, care and early years at Tresham College, said: “The students are loving the work and really feel they are making a contribution.

“They have received a very warm welcome from staff and they are really pleased to help out and see, first hand, what sort of opportunities working in healthcare provides."

She added: “We didn’t hold back on telling students how hard the work would be. Their enthusiasm and desire to help has bowled over many KGH staff.

"I am so proud of how well the students have behaved and how professional they have been.”