Suffolk student nurses training in new immersive building

A new building has opened to help student nurses prepare for life on the wards.

The £13m University of Suffolk building, on Ipswich's waterfront campus, provides a variety of clinical settings, including a birthing suite.

The technology, beds, sounds and environment all simulate what students will see on the front line of the NHS, the university said.

One student said the experience was "invaluable".

Within the Health and Wellbeing building there are also physiotherapy spaces, two wards and a radiography suite.

Dr Paul Driscoll-Evans, pro vice chancellor at the University of Suffolk, said the "state of the art" environment would give students "a real resilience" for when they "go into clinical practice".

The technology used by the students is the same in hospitals, the university said.

Rachel Adams, 39, a second year adult nursing student, said the immersive space was "invaluable".

She said: "It's about as true to life as you can get without being on an actual ward, because obviously the wards are busy environments and this sort of simulates that.

"We need to learn how to work around that background noise."

Niamh Wyard, 20, another second year nursing student, said the simulation wards were "very similar" to critical care wards she has had placements on.

Within the simulated wards, nurses have access to equipment including ECG machines, resus trolleys, oxygen and suction machines.

Dr Driscoll-Evans said there was a "significant need" for more staff in the health and social care system and the new building would help meet that need.

According to NHS England, the vacancy rate for registered nurses was 10.2% by 31 December, meaning there were more than 43,000 empty posts across the country.

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