Health students drop everything to support the NHS
Suddenly , it was all go ! While the rest of us were getting
used to working from home , QMU ’ s healthcare students took up the charge , responding to urgent calls from the Scottish Government to join Health Care Professionals Council ( HCPC ) emergency registers . Before the end of semester , students from QMU ’ s Nursing , Physiotherapy , Occupational Therapy , Therapeutic Radiography , Diagnostic Radiography , Speech & Language Therapy , Dietetics and Podiatry were catapulted into positions in the NHS and social care settings .
What ’ s even more incredible is that each and every one of the University ’ s fourth-year health sciences students who was eligible to register with the HCPC wasted no time in doing so . Even though these are uncertain times for everyone , QMU healthcare students have risen to the occasion and continue to play a vital role in the rehabilitation of those recovering from COVID-19 .
Any thoughts of holidays or graduation celebrations were quickly replaced with more pressing issues such as relocation plans and role preparation . It would be a career start like no other , but without hesitation , the University and students worked together to help the new starts quickly slot into healthcare roles across the country .
One of the many QMU students who suddenly found themselves contributing to the national effort was physiotherapist Sophie McAuliffe , who back in April , said : “ There is going to be a greater role for physiotherapists in the coming weeks and months because people who become unwell with COVID-19 will not only need us while they are sick , but afterwards too as they begin rehabilitation .
“ Starting work in this field in the midst of a global pandemic is going to be a challenge , but it ’ s one I think QMU has equipped us for .”
Outside of the School of Health Sciences , QMU students have found other ways to help the NHS in the fight against the virus . A prime example of this is the ‘ Race Around the World ’ challenge , hosted by the Men ’ s Rugby team and run in collaboration with all QMU sports clubs and societies . Open to the whole University community , participants were tasked with running 40,000km collectively ( equivalent to 34 cities across 30 different countries ), tracking their progress using the exercise monitoring app Strava , with sponsorship money going to NHS Charities Together . ❒
QMYOU / Responding to the Pandemic 7