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‘Shining a light on Colour Blindness’ competition winner unveils light sculpture at Aston University Winner 10-year-old Leo Evans helped unveil the feature of footballer Tyrone Mings The competition helped highlight the challenges of colour blindness - particularly in sport. A light sculpture named after the Aston Villa footballer Tyrone Mings has been unveiled at Aston University as part of a campaign to help raise awareness of colour blindness. In the UK there are approximately 3 million colour blind people (about 4.5% of the entire population), most of whom are male. Worldwide, there are estimated to be about 300 million people with colour blindness. The competition, ‘Shining a Light on Colour Blindness’, was launched by non-profit organisation Colour Blind Awareness and supported by various football club charities - including the Aston Villa Foundation. Young supporters were asked to take part by drawing a colourful picture of their favourite footballer. The winning entry was then made into a light feature. The winning artwork, which came from the Aston Villa Foundation, was transformed into a light feature and was selected to go on display inside the Aston University Vision Sciences building in the paediatrics bay, as part of the ongoing partnership between the Aston Villa Foundation and Aston University. Colour Blind Awareness is a non-profit organisation designed to highlight the relevance and impact of colour vision deficiency amongst those that live with it - including the challenges in sport. The organisation is part of an EU-funded project, Tackling Colour Blindness in Sport. Competition winner, 10-year-old Leo Evans from Erdington, helped unveil the light sculpture alongside Professor Anthony Hilton, pro-vice-chancellor & executive dean of the College of Health and Life Sciences. Professor Hilton said: “We are delighted for Leo, his winning drawing of Tyrone Mings looks fantastic as a light sculpture and we are proud to host it in our Vision Sciences building for our students, staff and visitors to enjoy, whilst raising awareness about colour blindness.” Commenting on his winning drawing, Leo said: “I am very proud that my picture won the competition and that Tyrone Mings liked it. I now better understand what being colour blind means and I hope my picture has helped someone else.” Cheryl Evans, Leo's Mum, said: “I couldn't be prouder of Leo and the fact that his drawing is of his favourite player Tyrone Mings makes it even more special. This competition has meant that as a family we have had many conversations about colour blindness and it has educated us all more on this topic. Well done Leo!” Kathryn Albany-Ward, CEO at Colour Blind Awareness CIC, said: “Aston Villa Foundation’s entry from Leo charmed the judges and who were delighted to award it first prize. We’re very grateful to Aston University for hosting the light feature and can’t wait to see it displayed. We hope its location in the Vision Sciences Department will help raise more awareness of a condition which affects 8% of boys and 0.5% of girls worldwide, impacting on their education and ability to perform to their best in sport if left unsupported.” Leo was met and congratulated by the head of the Aston Villa Foundation, Guy Rippon, and foundation manager, Ross Alexander. Ross said: “The Aston Villa Foundation would like to say a big congratulations to Leo for his amazing achievement! This is a really proud moment for Leo and we are thrilled that he was inspired by his favourite Aston Villa player. “It has also been a pleasure to have supported Colour Blind Awareness, who have done some great work in highlighting such an important and relevant topic during our coaching team’s workforce development. The support has culminated in a competition that was won by Leo, a participant in one of our Football in the Community holiday sessions. “The stunning light feature of Tyrone Mings will now be housed at Aston University for all to see and we are grateful for the University’s ongoing support with the Club.”
Award jointly given to President and CEO Dr. Janice Nevin and Chief Digital and Information Officer Randy Gaboriault ChristianaCare has earned the Transformational Leadership Award for excelling in its development and deployment of transformational information technology that improves the delivery of care and streamlines administrative services. Presented by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) and the American Hospital Association, the award is jointly bestowed to Janice Nevin, M.D., MPH, ChristianaCare’s president and CEO, and Randy Gaboriault, MS, MBA, ChristianaCare’s chief digital and information officer and senior vice president. “Their trailblazing commitment to rapid transformation has set an example for the entire industry in how to pursue a leadership vision with determination, brilliant planning and courage to overcome all challenges,” said CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell. Under the leadership of Nevin and Gaboriault, ChristianaCare has created and deployed new organizational, digital capabilities for both patient and caregiver. Using voice-enabled technology, ChristianaCare HomeHealth patients can interact with an internally developed Alexa capability to guide them through their personalized daily therapy regimens. Similarly, ChristianaCare recently launched the ability for in-house postpartum patients to use an Amazon Echo device to ask questions, request help or communicate with their care team. Taking voice and digital capabilities further, in February 2022, ChristianaCare deployed an innovative tool called Moxi, a collaborative robot – or “cobot” – that can assist in the hospital by making deliveries and performing other non-clinical tasks so that nurses and other clinical caregivers can spend more time focused on what they do best: caring for patients. “Randy is a phenomenal leader, with a relentless focus on creating a culture of innovation for impact, solving for the most complex problems and delivering significantly improved outcomes,” Nevin said. “His work has made ChristianaCare a model for how transformative technology can help to create health so that every person can flourish.” ChristianaCare continues to be recognized for leading innovation in the health care industry. The organization was recently recognized by CHIME’s Most Wired program with Performance Excellence Awards in its acute and ambulatory categories. That level is reserved only for organizations that are considered leaders in health care technology who “actively push the industry forward” and are “realizing meaningful outcomes, including improved quality of care, improved patient experience, reduced costs and broader patient access to healthcare services.” “Under Dr. Nevin’s extraordinary leadership, we have made an intentional commitment to placing technology at the center of all our initiatives to enable our caregivers to best serve our patients,” Gaboriault said. “That commitment, reinforced by our organization’s core behavior to continuously look for new ways to innovate, means that we are able to introduce and leverage robotic nursing assistants in a way that drives meaningful value for both patients and providers. And because our caregivers embrace change, we are confident that we will be using our cobots to assume more tasks in the future, and enable our nurses to devote even more of their precious time to direct patient care.”
Combating Hate Speech in 2023 (and Beyond)
The arrival of a new year often initiates a reflection on the previous one. And according to Billie Murray, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Communication, reflecting on America’s past begins with acknowledging the country’s history of and ever-growing propensity towards hate speech. As defined by Dr. Murray in her book Combating Hate: A Framework for Direct Action, hate speech “defames, denigrates, dehumanizes and/or inspires violence against particular groups of people on the basis of their religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, gender or other identity category.” Hateful rhetoric is not restricted to the fringes of society as it once might have been. It is emerging within schools, localities and central government. Yet, as Dr. Murray points out, America’s enmeshment is not fated. Dr. Murray’s commitment to fieldwork has taken her throughout the country to protests at hate group rallies in Stone Mountain and Newnan, Georgia, Columbia, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C. At these rallies, and through the lens of a researcher, scholar and activist, Dr. Murray sought to identify oppositional tactics used by counter-protestors that succeeded in diminishing the presence and the effects of hate speech. As a result of her observations, Dr. Murray devised the Counterspeech System, a strategy based on the idea that more speech (not avoidance) is the best way to counter hate speech. And there are two successful ways of doing just that: Confrontational Tactics focus on combating hate through direct action. For example, ‘Angel Action’ is a term used for a confrontational tactic employed at funerals in which activists dress in white angel costumes, rising seven feet tall with ten-foot wing spans, to form a shield with their bodies while creating a barrier between mourners and hate groups. For non-funeral occasions, counteractive celebratory events such as public dance parties, pride celebrations and noise brigades (the drowning out of hate speech with things like kazoos or brass bands) aim to quell hate with love. Persuasive-Dialogic Tactics focus on both public and interpersonal discussions. For example, persuadable members of the general public may receive the message that hate is a problem (through media campaigns and education) and thus come to the conclusion that action must be taken to combat it. Additionally, an interpersonal dialogue with individual members of a hate group in which messaging about compassion, human dignity and mutual respect is initiated can lead to self-reflection and the use of resources such as de-radicalization support groups (like Life After Hate). It is important to acknowledge that although successful, Counterspeech System tactics do not prevent hate groups from organizing or disseminating information. More speech serves to combat existing hateful rhetoric. “Our country needs a shift in how it understands free speech and the role of police protection of hate groups, especially if we are going to continue to win this fight,” says Dr. Murray. It will take federal action coupled with a coalition of those engaging in oppositional tactics to bring about lasting change. However, despite the challenges, Dr. Murray affirms that combating hate speech is worth the fight.
ChristianaCare Named a Most Wired Health Care Technology Leader for 7th Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year, ChristianaCare has earned the “Most Wired” designation from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), which assesses how effectively health care organizations apply core and advanced technologies to improve health and care in their communities. Among the more than 38,000 organizations surveyed by CHIME, ChristianaCare ranked above peers in categories such as analytics and data management, population health, infrastructure and patient engagement. The survey assessed the adoption, integration and impact of technologies in health care organizations at all stages of development, from early development to industry leading. “At ChristianaCare we are curious and continuously looking for ways to innovate,” said ChristianaCare President and CEO Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH. “Embedding that behavior in our organization has led to brilliant planning and extraordinary execution of new, technology-enabled models of care as our patients demand greater service and convenience, including greater access from home.” ChristianaCare was recognized with a Performance Excellence Award for Most Wired’s acute and ambulatory categories. That level is reserved only for organizations that are considered leaders in health care technology who “actively push the industry forward” and are “realizing meaningful outcomes, including improved quality of care, improved patient experience, reduced costs, and broader patient access to healthcare services.” “We are on the cutting edge of health care innovation, yet we have only scratched the surface of digital care,” said Randy Gaboriault, MS, MBA, chief digital and information officer at ChristianaCare. “We have embarked on building a digital distribution network of health care that strengthens every day. And we are guiding a digital thread that weaves together all the components in and outside the walls of the hospital and provider’s office to improve the health of every person we touch.” The Most Wired recognition highlights ChristianaCare’s success in the launch of the Hospital Care at Home program, which is transforming the very nature of how acute care is delivered, as well as the creation of digital platforms that radically improve the patient experience. Launched in December 2021, ChristianaCare’s Hospital Care at Home program offers the highest level of in-home acute care in Delaware. The program combines virtual and in-person care provided by a team of physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses and other providers, and has to date cared for more than 200 patients. These in-person and virtual visits from the health care team mean that a patient doesn’t need to leave home to get better. Virtual technology and home health equipment brought into the patient’s home ensure around-the-clock monitoring and care that mirror a traditional hospital setting. ChristianaCare’s digital patient engagement capabilities have streamlined nearly every aspect of the patient experience. Through these digital tools, the registration, check-in and intake of patients are becoming more streamlined, improving both patient experience and efficiency at ChristianaCare practices. The digital platform also enables patients to self-schedule appointments, easily complete their medical histories and check in to appointments by simply scanning a QR code with their digital device. “These digital offerings have placed our patients in the driver’s seat,” said Lynne McCone, MBA, chief applications officer and vice president of IT at ChristianaCare. “The benefits of a conducive, consistent patient journey and experience in turn improves practice operations and efficiency and dismantles administrative burdens for both patients and caregivers. It’s a huge win for consumers, patients and providers.” The Digital Health Most Wired survey and recognition program serves as a comprehensive “digital health check-up” for health care organizations across the world, according to CHIME. As success in digital health increasingly determines the quality of patient care, the scope of the CHIME Digital Health Most Wired survey reflects the progress of leading health systems, like ChristianaCare, as they reinvent health care for a new century. “We are proud to honor your team’s exceptional dedication to excellence in digital health,” said CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell of ChristianaCare. “Your pioneering performance in the industry inspires other organizations by example. Patients in communities around the world receive better care when you drive change through digital transformation, as you have proven through your success in this rigorous program.”
What Are Cardiac Arrest and Heart Attack?
Fast Action Saves Lives. When Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed during an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals, it brought urgency to knowing signs of a cardiac arrest and what to do in case of a medical emergency involving the heart. It’s a common misunderstanding that cardiac arrest and heart attack are the same. They are different, but both are very serious heart problems and require fast action to save lives. "I think the very best bit of news for Mr. Hamlin is that the emergency medical technicians got to him very quickly." Heart attack and other conditions, including a rare type of trauma called commotio cordis, may disrupt the heart’s rhythm and lead to cardiac arrest. Commotio cordis can occur from a severe blow to the chest as in a sports injury. What is cardiac arrest? Cardiac arrest happens when the heart malfunctions and stops beating unexpectedly. Cardiac arrest is triggered by an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat known as arrhythmia. The heart’s cardiac conduction system – or “electrical” system – is a specialized network of heart cells that keeps it beating regularly and effectively. With the heart’s pumping action disrupted, it cannot pump blood to the brain, lungs or other organs. Cardiac arrest often happens to people who didn’t know they had a heart problem. Symptoms of cardiac arrest Seconds after a cardiac arrest, a person becomes unresponsive, is not breathing or is only gasping. Death can occur within minutes if the victim does not receive treatment. Causes of cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest can run in families. People who have a family history of sudden cardiac death have a higher risk for sudden cardiac death. Other health problems can increase the chance of a deadly heart rhythm including: Heart disease (coronary artery disease). A heart attack. Heart failure. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This makes the heart thicker and larger than normal. Blow to the chest that disrupts the heart rhythm as in commotio cordis. Speak with your health care provider to learn if you have a health problem that raises your risk of cardiac arrest; treatment of that problem may help lower your risk. Medicine often can control the heart rhythm. Helping someone having a cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest can be reversible in some victims if treated within a few minutes. Health professionals, family or friends and even strangers may be able to help a person right away who has cardiac arrest. First, call 911 and start CPR right away. Click here for CPR basics, including videos. Then, if an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is available, use it as soon as possible. AEDs are often available in airports, malls, and other public places. Click here for how to use an AED. If two people are available to help, one should begin CPR immediately while the other calls 911 and finds an AED. In the ambulance and hospital, the person will receive emergency care. This care keeps the heart and lungs working to prevent damage to the body due to lack of oxygen. Doctors will try to find the cause of the cardiac arrest to prevent another one. AEDs are portable, life-saving devices designed to treat people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating suddenly and unexpectedly. What is a heart attack? A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked. A heart attack is a circulation problem with the heart. A heart attack occurs when part of the heart muscle does not get enough blood and oxygen. This part of the heart starts to die. Symptoms of a heart attack The most common symptom of a heart attack is chest pain or pressure. Some people describe it as discomfort, squeezing, or heaviness in the chest. Other symptoms may be immediate and may include intense discomfort in the chest or other areas of the upper body, shortness of breath, cold sweats, nausea or vomiting. Some people feel symptoms in other parts of their upper body such as: Pain or discomfort in your back, jaw, throat, upper belly or arm. Sweat, feeling sick to your stomach or vomiting. Trouble breathing. Feeling lightheaded or suddenly weak. A racing or fluttering heartbeat. More often, though, heart attack symptoms start slowly and persist for hours, days or weeks before a heart attack. Unlike with cardiac arrest, the heart usually does not stop beating during a heart attack. The longer the person goes without treatment, the greater the damage. Heart attack symptoms in women can be different than men (shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain). Address heart attack symptoms immediately Even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, call 911 if you have symptoms. Every minute matters. Emergency medical services staff can begin treatment when they arrive — up to an hour sooner than if someone gets to the hospital by car. These professionals also are trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped. Patients with chest pain who arrive by ambulance usually receive faster treatment at the hospital, too. Click here for CPR training classes held by the American Heart Association in your area.
Hearing clinic in partnership with Specsavers opens at Aston University
Hearing clinic opens to students, staff and NHS referrals Training of audiology students is supported by on-site clinic Free hearing tests made available in partnership with Specsavers. A new hearing clinic opened in the School of Optometry at Aston University is providing clinical care to students, staff and members of the public while supporting the training of Aston University audiology students. The clinic, which is situated on the ground floor in the Optometry building on the University campus in Birmingham city centre, is run in partnership with Specsavers and offers hearing tests for free. Aston University's audiology team is working with Specsavers to provide hearing tests, dispense hearing aids and also offer counselling and advice alongside a full aftercare package. The clinic can also advise people on personalised noise protection and ear plugs for swimming. It is open to members of the public and accepts NHS referrals. Claire Wilkes, audiology programme director at Aston University said: “So far the clinic has had a lot of interest and uptake of hearing appointments. We are delighted to be working alongside Specsavers. Many of our students undertake work placements with the company, so we are very happy we’ve been able to grow our partnership further by opening this clinic on campus.” Specsavers is a key partner of Aston University, with graduates from both audiology and optometry going on to work for them. Last year, 62% of students who were placed in Specsavers clinics for support and training applied for jobs on graduation and got to interview. Of those interviewed, 61% are now employed by Specsavers. Humah Zaheer, Specsavers audiology director, who runs the clinic added: “I’m delighted to be involved in this initiative. As an Aston University audiology graduate from 2014 it feels like I’ve come full circle. Being able to offer students an insight into the ‘real’ world of audiology, as well as Specsavers, is a fantastic experience for their career development. “We’ve also been bowled over with the response from the public and are looking to expand the number of days we open the clinic from next year.” The hearing clinic on campus will enable students to practice their clinical and communication skills in preparation for long term work placements off campus. The skills lab equipment mimics equipment in the NHS, helping students better prepare for placements. The hearing clinic is open from 9am until 5pm every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with plans to increase to five days a week in the new year. To find out more or book an appointment visit our website. You can also call 0121 270 7072.
Psychology students launch creative sessions to support wellbeing through art
The Aston Creative Wellbeing Group is run and facilitated by Aston University psychology students The group brings students together outside of class with an aim of supporting health and wellbeing through art The group will be running another nine sessions in spring 2023 due to its popularity. A student-led creative wellbeing group has been set up by psychology students at Aston University, with the help of their tutor, to connect student participants through art and help enhance their wellbeing. The Aston Creative Wellbeing Group, which showcases its creative work on its Instagram page, was so well attended in the autumn term - with more than 120 participants - it is now planning another nine sessions meeting weekly during the spring term to continue its mission to bring students together and support wellbeing. With some initial funding from the University welfare team to purchase ‘start up’ materials, the group ran a range of sessions including rock painting, making postcards, learning to crochet, painting and drawing and making festive decorations during the autumn 2022 term. Dr Kate Nicholls, senior personal tutor and teaching fellow in psychology at Aston University, explained why she supported the group to set up. Kate said: "I was keen to develop some student-led initiatives to support health and wellbeing in the School of Psychology. I also hoped it would help the students develop their professional skills and the practical application of their psychological knowledge. "It was art making and creative activities that sparked an interest from some final year psychology students and the Aston Creative Wellbeing Group was born. The group wanted to use the arts to enhance wellbeing, using creative activities to explore sense-making, aesthetic appreciation, provide entertainment and friendships.” Karla Hitchins, a final year psychology student who set up the group, said: “Running the group slides in nicely with my interests in art psychotherapy, but I also really enjoy arts and crafts in my own time. It has been great fun to facilitate this group. “The aim of the sessions is for people to have a safe space where they can connect with their creative side, as well as with other students. At the University, there are wellbeing and counselling services, but I don’t think there is anything quite like this. “Having somewhere to express your feelings, or to just have a creative outlet is incredibly important and I hope that eventually there will be more arts-based interventions for mental health and wellbeing at all universities.” Psychology student and group facilitator, Molly-Emma Taylor, said: “I've experienced a few mental health wobbles during this term, so having the wellbeing sessions has helped me a lot. "For example, the painting session was an amazing way to let out some pent-up feelings and it gave me time to connect with friends. I don't think I would have got so much out of it had I simply painted alone. “I think that the theme of everyone banding together every two weeks and making art, in whatever form it may be, is pretty awesome. It's always fun to see what everyone makes. “The social media aspect of the group on Instagram is nice too, because it means even if someone wasn't able to make it to a session they can still feel like a part of group and see what other people created.” Jacqueline Maloney, mental health specialist at Aston University said: "As a mental health specialist at the University, I have been thrilled to help promote and support our psychology Students’ initiative to provide creative wellbeing activities for our students. "I am a big believer in the therapeutic potential of the arts and through participation in these sessions I have witnessed students relaxing, laughing, trying new crafts, and enjoying time in creative endeavours. I am so pleased that this session will be continued into 2023." For more information about studying psychology at Aston University, please visit our website.
Fashioning Fusion: Villanova Professor Explains Clean Energy Breakthrough
On December 13, scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory announced a breakthrough that could change the future of clean energy. The long-awaited achievement of nuclear fusion was accomplished by researchers and, if harnessed on a larger scale, fusion energy could provide an energy option without the pollution of fossil fuels and without the radioactive waste of nuclear energy. A new world running on clean energy may not be imminent, but the state of ignition achieved is an important first step. Villanova University professor of mechanical engineering David Cereceda, PhD, received a U.S. Department of Energy Early Career Award from the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences for his research on fusion energy materials—and has worked at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, located in California. "Ignition means that a nuclear fusion reaction becomes self-sustainable," Dr. Cereceda said. "The experiments performed at NIF [National Ignition Facility] last week reached for the first time in history a condition called scientific breakeven, meaning the scientists produced more energy from fusion than the laser energy used to drive it." The breakthrough discovery was made when 192 lasers focused on a cylinder the size of a pencil eraser. That container was filled with a small amount of hydrogen that was encased in a diamond. The resulting reaction that occurred was brief but significant, as this important step has proved allusive to researchers for decades. "Those who criticized fusion said that fusion was always five decades away. That's not true anymore," Dr. Cereceda remarked. "I'm not surprised about the announcement. It finally arrived after decades of hundreds of brilliant scientists and engineers carefully working on it." Still, the national laboratory says much work still lies ahead. Scientists will continue to push toward a higher fusion output and are looking at more efficient ways to produce ignition. Researchers also believe they may still be decades away from making fusion energy a mainstay and usable for the general public. "In my opinion, some of the most important challenges that remain on the path to commercial fusion energy are related to structural materials, tritium breeding blankets and laser technology, among others," mentioned Dr. Cereceda. "Multiple challenges remain to making it a commercial energy source, but this recent and historic breakthrough was a critical milestone."
It reflects the University’s strong and longstanding relationship with the accounting industry The University’s graduates achieved the fourth highest global pass rate in CIMA Operational Level exams It is the second year in a row the University has been recognised in this way. Aston University’s Accounting Department has won a Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) Global Excellence Award at the CIMA Excellence Awards for the second year running. The annual Awards recognise institutions and individuals across the world going above and beyond to shape the next generation of Chartered Global Management Accountants and lead the accounting profession into the future. The Accounting Department has been awarded Global High Distinction - CGMA Campus of the Year 2022, reflecting the strong and longstanding relationship it has with the accounting industry and the professional bodies in accounting which benefits students throughout Aston Business School. The award reflects the University’s graduates achieving the third highest number of CIMA exams taken over the previous 12 months per university campus globally with above average global pass rate as well as the fourth highest global pass rate in CIMA Operational Level exams. Andy Lymer, professor of taxation and personal finance and head of department of accounting in Aston Business School, said: “Ensuring our graduates are well prepared for long and successful careers in the accounting profession is a key focus of our approach to designing and delivering our accounting degrees, and where we work on other degrees with our accounting teaching. “To be recognised for doing this at the level of one of the top three or four Universities in the world by one of the major global accounting professional bodies is clearly great news for our students - current, past and future. “It is also wonderful recognition for the great teaching team we have here that this award underlines are genuinely world class at what they do.”
Aston University launches degree in nursing starting in 2023
Nursing Studies BSc (Hons) will specialise in nursing adults Students will spend 50% of their time in work placements in the West Midlands region The nursing programme is based in Aston Medical School Aston University has launched a degree in nursing with its first intake starting its three-year course in September 2023. Approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the Nursing Studies BSc (Hons) will specialise in nursing adults with a focus on community nursing, with work placements offered in hospital and community settings to best reflect where the NHS most urgently needs nurses. According to NHS Digital there are around 47,000 UK vacancies, that is a vacancy rate of 11.8% and in the Midlands region, in the first quarter of 2022 there were 9,336 nursing vacancies – making the West Midlands a hot spot for vacancies. The University is now taking applications for its first cohort of up to 40 students who will be based in Aston Medical School. They will be due to graduate in 2026, eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a Registered Nurse (Adult). Professor Anthony Hilton, pro-vice-chancellor and executive dean of the College of Health and Life Sciences, said: “I am delighted we now offer Nursing Studies which comes at a time when we are seeing a national shortage of nurses in the NHS and more locally in Birmingham we are seeing a significant gap in nurses trained in adult and community care settings. Nursing will be co-located within Aston Medical School to provide opportunity for truly interprofessional learning with our medical, pharmacy and wider groups of healthcare students. “We are excited to work with our local NHS Trusts to offer clinical practice education, in combination with our new state of the art health simulation facilities. We look forward to launching in 2023 and developing high quality nursing graduates to support the NHS workforce of the future.” Students will spend 50% of their time on work placements at various local hospital trusts including Sandwell and West Birmingham (with its new hospital opening in 2024), The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals Birmingham – this includes The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Solihull Hospital, Birmingham Heartlands and Good Hope Hospital, as well as Birmingham Community Healthcare Trust. There will also be opportunities for placements within various nursing homes, hospices and GP practices. There are significant opportunities for interprofessional learning with other healthcare students - because the nursing cohort will study some taught sessions alongside students in Aston Medical School, Pharmacy, Optometry and Audiology. New state-of-the-art healthcare simulation facilities will be used to support practical and clinical skills training. The simulation suite includes two hospital wards, a residential flat, an immersive room and high-fidelity mannequins. Jayne Murphy, programme lead adult nursing, Aston University: “Nursing is dynamic and challenging and requires a huge skill-set from specialist clinical skills to essential skills of communication, problem-solving and professionalism.” “There is no better time to start a career in nursing. The opportunities post-qualifying are endless and our students will have the potential to make a significant difference to people’s lives when they are often at their most vulnerable.” “Our nursing students will work with some truly inspirational people who will support them to be the best nurse they can be. The small cohort sizes at Aston University mean they will have a personalised experience in a supportive environment to help our students flourish during their studies and in their first post as a registered nurse.” Dr Alexander Rhys, NMC Assistant Director of Professional Practice, said: “Congratulations to Aston University which has become one of the latest education institutions approved against our standards to deliver a pre-registration nursing programme. It's vital that nursing and midwifery students receive the high-quality education they need to join our register and deliver the safe, effective and kind of care that people have the right to expect. We look forward to supporting Aston University as it educates the nurses of the future”. We are now taking applications for BA (Hons) Nursing Studies (Registered Nurse Adult Nursing) starting in September 2023. To find out more about the course or how to apply, please visit the course pages on our website. Deadline for applications is 25 January 2023.