A historic day for nursing and a double celebration at winter graduation ceremonies
Health Sciences graduates from the Bachelor of Nursing programme were the first to graduate from the new all-degree curriculum today.
This is a historic day for nursing across the country but also for the University of Southampton, which was the first in the country to validate this all-graduate programme.
Also graduating today is a unique cohort of students from the first Bachelor of Science Healthcare Science programme. Our degree has been commended by the Registration Council for Clinical Physiology and the National Academy for Healthcare Science for its innovative approach to learning.
Students from the Nursing and Healthcare Science programmes were among hundreds from across the Faculty graduating today at ceremonies held at the Turner Sims and celebrating their achievements with academics, family and friends.
There was double reason to celebrate as the University’s REF (Research Excellence Framework) results were also made public today. The Faculty of Health Sciences was ranked third for overall quality, first for our research impact and 94% of our research was deemed world leading or internationally excellent.
The Faculty also achieved 100% in the REF results for environment, which relates to how well we look after our students and staff, and the environment in which they work.
To add to the celebrations, many graduates were also awarded prizes today, recognising outstanding achievement by select individuals and success in the face of adversity by others.
Graduate nurse from the BN Adult Nursing programme, Annette Welch, who was awarded the Ian Douglas Prize by mentor Sue Faulds, said: “I am really proud to be here today, but I couldn’t have done it without the support of my mentor, academics and family.
“The all-degree programme really worked for me as I enjoyed the academic rigour. Studying here has been fantastic and I feel ready and prepared for professional life working in the community.
“It’s amazing to receive this award in recognition that people do struggle, but that we can all make it through difficult circumstances. I am extremely honoured.”
The ceremonies went very well and were enjoyed by graduates and their families, and staff took great pleasure sharing in the excitement of the occasion.
Our graduates join the growing alumni community of tens of thousands of Southampton graduates across the world. We wish them all a hugely successful future.