Nursing and midwifery graduates from the University of Plymouth are invited to a celebration event to mark the centenary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).
Taking place on 10 December, alumni will be gathering at both the University’s main Plymouth campus and its Truro base, The Knowledge Spa, to share memories, enjoy festive food, and browse trade stands to celebrate the national milestone.
Professional lectures will also be live streamed from both sites.
Around 8,000 nurses and midwives – specialising in adult, child and mental health disciplines – have graduated since 1998, when the University introduced nursing to its academic offer.
Among those presenting are alumni who have followed different career paths; postgraduate researchers; and experts in social media. There will also be advice about revalidation and continuing professional education, and local trusts and other employers will be exhibiting and sharing information about current job opportunities.
Attendees are being encouraged to bring along their graduation photos to display and to set up their own ‘mini reunions’ within the larger day.
It is also hoped that the former students will share their experience and ideas at the gathering, which in turn could help feed back into the University curriculum.
Ray Jones, Professor of Health Informatics in the University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery, who is running the event, said:
“It’s an event we’ve wanted to do for a little while as we know there are hundreds of our graduates who have gone on to have outstanding careers and personal achievements.
“As well as reunite them and celebrate the RCN milestone with our fantastic alumni community, it gives us a chance to learn about the really valuable experiences these professionals have had within the sector. However long ago a graduate studied at our Plymouth or Truro campuses, it would be great to see them on 10 December.”
