The excellent training St Richard’s Hospice provides for healthcare students been recognised this week at the NHS and University of Worcester Mentor Awards 2016.
The hospice’s In-patient Unit team received the award for the excellent support and mentoring they provide to University of Worcester’s student nurses and other health professionals training as part of their learning placement.
Representatives of the team were delighted to accept the Outstanding Practice Placement Learning Environment award at a special ceremony at the University Arena on Tuesday evening.
The Mentor Awards is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the outstanding contributions of healthcare providers in the training and mentoring of the next generation of health professionals.
St Richard’s Hospice prides itself on its culture of learning and over the years has supported and mentored many student nurses and other allied professionals. Whilst on placement at the In-patient Unit, students are encouraged to reflect on their practice and to observe and understand how the hospice provides compassionate care to patients and those important to them. Mentors within the department support students to understand how the emotional impact of death and dying affects their own approach to care.
Fiona Howarth, St Richard’s Hospice In-patient Unit Manager said, “We are delighted to have been recognised at these highly regarded awards. Each student is allocated an individual mentor but the whole team work to support students to take care of their own wellbeing within an emotional environment and to use their experience to challenge their own pre-conceived ideas around a ‘good death’. We encourage learners to offer feedback on their learning experience at the hospice and one recently commented; ‘Before my placement I had thought of giving up but my experience of the In-Patient Unit has reaffirmed that I want to be a nurse.’ It is feedback like this that reminds me why I am so proud to be part of this excellent team.”