Team building at the Army Reserve Base
In 2018, our Nursing and Midwifery students visited an Army Reserve Base in Seaburn for a range of team building and bonding exercises.
Nursing and Midwifery community
Find out more about the support and wellbeing we have available for our students, our social and teaching spaces, and the Nursing and Midwifery Society.
Fundraising for the local maternity unit
Our Midwifery students arranged a bake sale to fundraise for the maternity unit at Sunderland Royal Hospital. Raising almost £300, they donated 15 Bluetooth speakers and other equipment to the labour ward.
First cohort of Blended Nursing graduates celebrate together
Our first graduates of the Blended Adult Nursing course gathered on-campus to celebrate their hard work with a social farewell on their final day together.
Our social spaces
As well as spaces for learning, we have areas where you can relax with other Nursing and Midwifery students. In Helen McArdle House, we have dedicated spaces with chairs, sofas, tables and more that you can use to catch up with friends or ask for advice with coursework. There are also kitchenettes available to use to make you feel at home on campus.
Our Nursing and Midwifery students work very hard, which is why we want to ensure you also have time to socialise and relax, as well as have opportunities for collaborative study. Finding a good work-life balance is crucial to your success at university.
Our teaching spaces
There are a variety of teaching spaces available for you to use, such as the library for individual or collaborative study sessions, or Helen McArdle House where you can work alongside other healthcare students.
Many of our Nursing and Midwifery tutors can be found within Helen McArdle House and operate an open-door policy, meaning you can always access support and advice when you need it. There are also office hours provided by your tutors if you have course-related queries.
To support you during your degree, you'll be appointed a Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) who will be your first point of contact for anything non-module related, such as your wellbeing or accommodation. They are contactable via email and regular face to face meetings.
Student support and wellbeing projects
We have a number of initiatives at Sunderland to ensure our Nursing and Midwifery students are thriving during their time with us. Kate Newby, an advanced nurse practitioner and prescriber, works within the Faculty as the Academic Support Lead, with the focus of her role being student success and support.
Some of Kate’s projects include working for the RePAIR network by conducting surveys and focus groups on belongingness, inclusion, student engagement and retention, as well as support for students on leave of absence. Kate has also worked with Health Education England on a funded project and the Wearside Women in Need Training project.
External support
We also have connections to external support for our students, including:
- SilverCloud, which provides evidence-based digital mental health and wellbeing programmes
- Umii, which helps to combat student isolation and loneliness
- Student Minds, a mental health charity who empower students and members of the university community
- Student Space at the University of Sunderland, where you can receive 24/7 free, confidential and anonymous support from a trained volunteer
International Day of the Midwife and International Nurses Day
In May 2023, our students gathered on campus to honour International Day of the Midwife and International Nurses Day.
Our trainee midwives came together, joining international lectures to discuss different aspects of midwifery, as well as take part in a lunch buffet of food from all over the world. Senior lecturer Sarah Fairburn says "We've had a great time celebrating International Day of the Midwife. We wanted to offer our Midwifery students the opportunity to celebrate their profession."
The following week, Nursing students convened at Helen McArdle House for a celebration that featured historic nursing uniforms and equipment, with students taking part in quizzes to guess which decade the equipment was from and what it was used for. The day ended with tea, cake, and a livestream from Helen McArdle herself.