Badge of honour for students as they qualify for a career in nursing

Recently qualified University of Wolverhampton Nursing students have taken delivery of their official ‘badge’ of honour at a celebratory ceremony in Walsall recently. 

Pre-registration student nurses, who were based at the University’s Walsall Campus in the School of Nursing, all studied during the Covid-19 pandemic. The students have just completed their Adult Nursing and Children’s Nursing degrees. 

Badges are traditionally given out to represent the institute where the nurses have trained.  

The ceremony was held at St Matthew’s Church in Walsall with friends and family present. 

Anne Holland, Senior Lecturer in Adult Nursing at the University, said: “Most of our students this year have been studying and working on their health and social care placements during the pandemic so their learning experience has been intense.  

“It’s really wonderful that, just after the poignant two-year anniversary of the first lockdown, the students are now able to celebrate their achievements alongside their friends and family at this badge ceremony which has been organised by the students themselves. 

“It’s always a really proud moment for staff to see how far the students have come on their learning journeys with us and we wish them all the best for their nursing careers.” 

Laura Joberns, 41 from Great Barr who studied for an Adult Nursing degree at Walsall Campus and is now a Staff Nurse in Cardiology at City Hospital in Birmingham, said: “I previously worked in law as a legal secretary and a personal injury advisor. My mum and dad both had long-term illnesses and the passionate and kind care that they received really inspired me to become a nurse - I woke up one day and thought it was now or never, and the pandemic also really inspired me. 

“Having a degree allows choice – especially in cardiology, it’s a stepping-stone to get me onto another course to become a Heart Failure Nurse which is where I want to be in the future. Any applicants who want to study to be a nurse, I would say it’s very rewarding – no matter what age you are!  It’s definitely been a roller-coaster learning during the pandemic, we adapted to online learning and we’ve learned a lot about time-management so this is such a brilliant achievement for us.” 

Laura Joberns has published an article in the British Journal of Cardiac Nursing: "Nurse opportunities to overcome barriers to palliative care provision for patients with heart failure: an integrative review." (accessible on the website using institutional logins). 

Laura Dawson, 22 from Walsall who studied for a Children’s Nursing degree at Walsall Campus and is now a Paediatrics Nurse at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, said: “I started working at the NHS in business administration but then decided I wanted to be more patient-facing so started to look into the types of courses I could do.  I went to an Open Day at the University and decided that Children’s Nursing sounded really interesting. 

“We’ve learned so many new skills on the course, especially joining during the pandemic and there are lots of opportunities opening up to me already. I’ve already started my progression path - I’m doing a Foundation course in Neonatal Care so that I can be ITU trained in Neonatal.” 

Anyone looking to study at the University of Wolverhampton should register for one of our forthcoming Open Days. 

Picture caption: From left to right, Laura Dawson and Laura Joberns with their badges. 

ENDS