22 June 2026 · Student Achievement · Claire Bennett, School of Health Communications
Five final-year BSc Nursing students were honoured at the West Midlands NHS Trust Partnership Awards held at Birmingham's International Convention Centre on 20 June 2026. The team, supervised by Senior Lecturer Pauline Hart, was recognised for developing a peer-support toolkit used across placement wards at Luma General Hospital and two neighbouring trusts.
The toolkit addresses common challenges faced by student nurses during early clinical placements, including handover procedures, escalation protocols and documentation standards. It was piloted over six months and has since been adopted by three NHS trusts across the region. Ward managers reported improved student confidence and a reduction in placement-related queries to university link lecturers.
Student team leader Amara Singh, who will qualify as a registered nurse in September, said the project emerged from shared experiences on busy medical wards. "We wanted to create something practical that the next cohort could use from day one. Knowing it is now helping students across the region is incredibly rewarding," she said.
Luma's School of Health maintains placement partnerships with six NHS trusts and numerous community providers. Head of School Dr Fiona McAllister emphasised that student-led innovation strengthens these relationships. "Our students do not simply pass through placements—they contribute meaningfully to service improvement. This award reflects the quality of partnership working we have built over two decades," she explained.
The university will showcase the toolkit at its September applicant days and plans to integrate elements into the revised nursing curriculum launching in the 2027–28 academic year.