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University to open new nursing school to ease students’ commutes

The University of Plymouth is to open its third nursing teaching site in a bid to cut down travel times for students.
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The University of Plymouth is opening a school of nursing in Exeter to improve travel times for its students.


The University of Plymouth will open a new nursing school in Exeter, in response to
student feedback about long travel times. Picture: Alamy

The new site will accommodate 100 of the 485 students expected to study nursing at the university from September.

It will offer an adult nursing course and will be the university’s third nursing teaching site, in addition to the main Plymouth campus and its Knowledge Spa site in Truro.

However, there will be no increase in the university’s nursing student intake. Rather, the move is being made in response to student feedback about travel times between home, lectures and clinical placements.

The university works with all the NHS trusts and numerous private and third sector care providers throughout Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.

Supporting students 

Executive dean of the faculty of health and human sciences Trish Livsey said: ‘Some students commute to Plymouth from significant distances, so we hope locating these teaching facilities in Exeter will reduce the need for them to travel and cut the associated time and costs of travelling, which will particularly support our students who have caring responsibilities.’

Third-year nursing student Sharon Chilcott, who has a young baby, said commuting to Plymouth can take her up to two hours.

She said a 20-minute journey to Exeter would be much easier.

‘The time not spent commuting can be used to study, and an added benefit is not having to get up so early. Getting a baby ready and then getting down to Plymouth for 9am often involves a 5am start.’

The university is tendering for the new building and is accepting applications for its BSc adult nursing for September.


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