The Lodge provides clinical work placements for University student nurses

Thanks to the commitment, leadership and expertise from our Sheffield specialist care home The Lodge, student nurse Emily Denton, is now set for career in care home nursing.

The partnership with Sheffield Hallam University comes after Exemplar Health Care recognised a niche in providing training for students away from the usual nursing areas of hospital wards. The Lodge provides specialist nursing care for people with learning disabilities and complex conditions giving student nurses experience with a range of specialist skills, knowledge and expertise in community based nursing homes.

During her placement, Emily gained a range of skills, knowledge and expertise from the highly qualified care and clinical team at the home. Studying a BA Honours Degree in nursing, learning disability and social work at Sheffield Hallam University, Emily is a second year student and her placement at The Lodge was the first she had done at a care home.

Working alongside The Lodge’s Home Manager Teena Binns and the care and clinical team, Emily has assisted with clinical duties, helped the activities team on resident day trips, and has been given insights into daily nurse duties.

Emily said: “As soon as I started my placement at The Lodge, everyone was so helpful and friendly. I was made to feel welcome as soon as I started. I have learnt so much from The Lodge team, and the placement has given me a lot of confidence going into my next work place.

“I have enjoyed working at the home so much, that I am now strongly considering a career in working at a care home that specialises in care for those who live with learning disabilities and would love to work at The Lodge when I qualify.”

After a successful eight-week work placement with The Lodge, Emily has opened up a new door to specialist nursing and is considering furthering her career in the area once she is qualified.

Teena Binns, Home Manager at The Lodge, said: “We are delighted to welcome student nurses like Emily to our home.

“We find that working with students is a great two-way learning experience as not only do they learn from our experienced team, we get to benefit from their latest research and knowledge gained at University. Many student nurses do not consider working in a nursing home after they graduate, so it’s great to welcome them into our home so they can experience first-hand the fantastic career opportunities we can offer.”

Teena added: “Emily has gained a broad nursing experience with the help of our clinical and care teams and will now be confident moving into her next placement and eventually into a nursing job once qualified.”