School of Nursing and Midwifery
Our Facilities
The School of Nursing and Midwifery consists of specialist facilities to enable our students the ability to explore, learn and develop within every aspect of their speciality. All students have access to facilities and e-learning facilities to support their studies. View BCU’s mock wards, birthing room, skills practice and care enhancement (SPACE) and social study space below.
Learning facilities
BCU offer up-to-date, innovative facilities that simulate the real situations that medical staff may come across. These resources are essential in offering students a hands-on introduction to health and social care practice.
In a sector where new techniques are constantly being discovered, BCU works hard to ensure that students learn using the most up-to-date equipment available. These include the virtual ward and virtual case creator.
Simulation Mannequins
BCU have several Simulation men (SIM men) and Simulation babies (SIM babies) which are anatomically correct mannequins used for teaching specific techniques such as advanced adult and paediatric life support skills, acute and high dependency clinical skills, first aid and communication skills.
The SIM men and SIM baby mannequins are complete with software, which is used to replicate real symptoms, and are enhanced by the manipulation of for example blood pressure, pulse and heart rate for extra realism. SIM Man can also “talk” to the students which adds another dimension to their use in teaching clinical skills and in simulation exercises
Mock wards
The mock wards enable students to get a feel of what a ward is really like before heading out for their first placement.
They contain ‘Sim Men’, which are demonstration dummies that develop ailments, allowing students to treat them as they would a real patient and build their confidence in reacting to the changing needs of patients.
Birthing room
The birthing room is kitted out as if in a real maternity ward. There is a bed and all of the essential equipment associated with babies, pregnancy and mothers to ensure safe pre-natal and post-natal care.
Students will be able to use these facilities to understand the health situations associated with pregnancy and the care of the baby and mother after birth.
Laboratories
BCU have recently installed new laboratory facilities to help students explore and understand the scientific principles underpinning many of their courses. The physiology laboratory is equipped to help students learn about the way the human body works by performing investigative experiments. The biomedical science laboratory is undergoing an upgrade over the summer and will allow students to learn about anatomy, cellular processes, immunology and enzymology in a hands-on way that links directly to day-to-day health care.
Virtual wards
The Virtual Case Creator (VCC) is a unique, online learning tool that uses the latest animation, illustration, 3D modelling and programming techniques to support the creation of online, interactive and engaging case studies and scenarios.
The VCC starts by presenting you with complex, unstructured problems that realistically represent aspects of health practice.
Students will then have access to multiple information sources, such as charts, medical notes, physical and environmental cues, which students will process and make medical decisions accordingly.
Using the VCC develops students’ ability to filter, critically analyse and process information in order to work safely, effectively and efficiently within a modern health care arena. They have to decide on the key priorities associated with each aspect of care and afterwards, they will receive feedback on the appropriateness of their decisions.
Skills Practice and Care Enhancement – S.P.A.C.E.
An innovative practice area all students can access outside of lecture time to use equipment and resources to practise a wide range of skills.
Mary Seacole Library
The Seacole library, based at City South Campus, is one of the UK’s largest specialist health education libraries.
The state-of-the art facility offers an extensive range of range of information and reference materials set out in a relaxing environment, conducive to studying.
There are comfortable seating areas, group study areas, a silent study area and private study rooms.
Students will have access to all of the University’s libraries, including the main Curzon Library on the City Centre Campus, which is open 24/7 during term time and has a wide variety of learning spaces and resources to support their studies.
Computer facilities
The Seacole building houses a large open access IT Suite which comprises of 96 PCs, full colour printers, photocopiers and scanners. BCU PCs utilise the latest Intel i5 core technology, all with:
- Fast (unrestricted) internet connectivity
- Ability to save files to USB, DVD & CD
- Microsoft Office software
- Research and statistical software
- Storage space which can be accessed from any PC across the University and from home
BCU PCs are also designed to support students who may have difficulties with reading and writing, featuring specialised software with zooming/magnification and screen reading capabilities, which may also be customised for individual student needs.
The IT Suite offers extended opening hours and is supported by a specialist Open Access Assistant during term time. In addition to the open access PCs within the IT Suite, there are 12 networked student PCs available within Seacole library.
