Student film helps bridge gap between patients and nurses

Nursing students in Northumbria have produced a film as part of their newly launched campaign to improve communication between patients and nurses.

Six first-year students on Northumbria University’s learning disability nursing degree programme made the film after being assigned with answering the question: ‘what is nursing?’

After speaking to patients to find out what they needed from nurses, and to nurses to find out how patients could better understand the challenges of their job, they found common responses in their answers. Both groups said that what they needed to see were displays of patience, humour, and honesty, along with communication and understanding - and a smile.

These responses were used by the students to create the campaign We Are Human, with the aim of promoting unity, community and collaboration between nurses and patients.

The film shows nursing students undertaking a range of nursing roles, including caring for a child with cancer and a confused patient with dementia, and expressing how emotionally challenging the career can be.

It has already been viewed more than 2,500 times and received praised from RCN general secretary Peter Carter.

Nursing student Louise Vallery said: ‘We developed the campaign after seeing a need to encourage a mutual understanding between patients and nurses. We wanted to bridge a perceived gap and reassure the public that, as nurses, we share in their emotions, from joy to sadness and frustration.’

To view the film: click here

Read more on the We Are Human Facebook page: click here