University nursing course under regulator review

A university is under investigation by the nursing regulator over concerns about one of its courses.

The Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) says it is carrying out an "extraordinary review" at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), focusing on its mental health nursing course.

One student, Laura Maisey, told the BBC she was "distressed" by her experience and questioned whether some trainees were being fully prepared for professional practice. A lecturer, who did not want to be identified, raised similar concerns.

The university, which has campuses in Chelmsford, Cambridge and Peterborough, says it produces excellent nurses and is "proud of the quality" of its teaching.

It comes three years after a previous report raised concerns about teaching standards and oversight, and whether nursing programmes were consistently meeting regulatory requirements.

The NMC said it was working with the university to build "a full picture" and understand whether its "education standards continue to be met".

Maisey said she was shocked by the behaviour of some teaching staff, including one lecturer who she said made comments about a mental health condition.

"This lecturer referenced bipolar by saying it was his favourite of the mental health conditions and the reason why, was because when those people were having a manic episode, which is psychosis, those people are - and I quote - 'having fun'," she said.

"That felt particularly distressing to me as I grew up with mental health in my home."

She said a relative having bipolar had destroyed her childhood and she could not believe what she was hearing.

Maisey said she had now transferred on to an adult nursing course.

"That was probably the moment when I realised that something was wrong."

She said mental health nurses had a "huge responsibility" to care for vulnerable people and that this needed to be impressed on students as future leaders.

"Very few people told me why it was important for me to do a good job, because we are dealing with society's most vulnerable," she added.

One lecturer, who did not want to be identified, told the BBC large class sizes were making teaching difficult.

"We've had 50-plus students in one clinical skills lab, during a session with one lecturer," he said.

"There's supposed to be one lecturer to every 15 students, with classrooms holding a maximum of 30 to 40.

"You have lecturers that are unable to manage a classroom that big."

Anglia Ruskin University said it was the largest provider of health education in the East of England, supporting more than 2,300 students.

It said: "We are proud of the quality of our students and of the teaching they receive. We produce excellent nurses, including in the area of mental health nursing."

ARU was recognised with a Gold Award in the most recent Teaching Excellence Framework.

The university said it had identified a specific "potential issue" which they self‑reported to the NMC and added that it was purely a matter for mental health nursing.

It added that it had been communicating with the regulator and said: "In line with our policy of continuous improvement we are working constructively with them to implement recommendations".

The NMC said it would "transparently publish" a review report which would set out any next steps.

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