College opens lifelike hospital training ward

A new hospital-style training ward has opened to give aspiring healthcare workers the chance to learn in a setting that feels like the real thing.

Exeter College has launched Bakers Ward at its Hele Road campus, complete with eight beds, lifelike patient mannequins and hospital-grade equipment.

The ward was to be used by adult learners, apprentices and students on T-level and higher education courses, alongside two new life sciences labs where students could carry out practical work, course bosses said.

It has been developed with the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Exeter.

AJ Hutchings, a second-year T-level health and adult nursing pathway learner, said: "The ward is a big upgrade from what we've been used to. The patients have very realistic skin, which is really important for learners. It feels like a real hospital ward."

Duha Alkhouli, a first-year T-level health learner, said: "It's very important to have these facilities because, when you're out on placement and you're in a real hospital ward, if you haven't had the experience, you might be a bit shocked at how different it is."

Rhi Humphreys, clinical education manager at Exeter College, told BBC News: "The learners spend a lot of time on placement, so they're out in the hospital, they're on the wards, they're in community.

"And, actually, for young people in particular, going into those spaces for the first time can be quite daunting. So, the opportunity to make mistakes in a safe way is really, really important."

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