The University of Plymouth has confirmed that its new nurse education facility, The Exeter School of Nursing, will be opening on Topsham Road.
Based near Countess Wear roundabout in Exeter, the site is owned by WESC Foundation – The Specialist Centre for Visual Impairment.
The University will be repurposing existing buildings ready to welcome first year BSc Adult Nursing students in September.
Plymouth has extended its offer to Exeter in direct response to student feedback, and the location, which has good links to public transport, was chosen to help decrease students’ travel time between homes, lectures and to and from clinical placements.
Professor Bridie Kent, Head of School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Plymouth, was pleased to be making the announcement on International Nurses Day (12 May), and explained why the location was chosen:
“This year’s theme for International Nurses Day is ‘sustainable development goals’,” she said. “And with that in mind, it’s great that we’re moving into an existing education site, rather than building something new.
“It was also key for us to find somewhere that was central, to help reduce the need for students to travel and cut the associated time and costs of travelling – which will particularly support our students who have caring responsibilities. Being co-located with WESC Foundation aligns well with our key objectives to apply our knowledge, research, and the talents of our staff and students, to make a real difference to the lives of the communities we serve.
“We are very much looking forward to welcoming our first students to The Exeter School of Nursing in September, and we’re still welcoming applications from anyone who might be interested in studying with us.”
Maureen Biss, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of WESC Foundation, said:
“We are delighted to welcome the University of Plymouth to our Campus. This is part of our ongoing strategy to forge partnerships with those who seek to support the most vulnerable in our community. This will strengthen our ability to deliver innovative learning and collaborative repurposing of our education provision.”
The University has run an adult nursing programme for more than 20 years, and The Exeter School of Nursing will be its third nursing teaching site, with the main Plymouth campus and the Knowledge Spa in Truro already running the course.
