University Hospital Crosshouse was lucky to be able host Primary 5 from Glencairn Primary in Stevenston, North Ayrshire for an NHS experiential day this December.
Glencairn Primary pupil, Amber Nichols won an art competition in May this year celebrating International Celebration of Florence Nightingales’ birth – Nurses’ Day 2023. As the winner Amber, and her class were invited by the Excellence in Care and Practice Development Team to learn about the different healthcare roles in a hospital.
The pupils had a full interactive and fun day with staff from different departments doing everything from plaster casts to learning how to unblock pipes.
About the day, Amber said, “I was so proud that I won this trip for my class. I loved visiting the staff at the hospital, they were kind, caring and so friendly. We had a brilliant day and I learned about lots of different jobs in the hospital.”
A fellow pupil from Amber’s P5 class, Holly added, “The University Hospital Crosshouse trip was lots of fun. I found out about all of the different careers. I loved getting a cast on my arm and when they scanned me, I beeped. I didn’t realise that it was the metal on my security pass! The staff were very funny and I loved meeting them.”
Class Teacher, Mrs Sands said, “The trip to University Hospital Crosshouse has to be one of the most useful, engaging and educational trips that I have ever taken a class on.
“It provided real life examples for me to refer to during the teaching of science lessons.
“The staff were really focused on the needs of my class and organised a number of hospital departments to meet primary 5, including the Estates department, doctors, dental health staff, nurses from Emergency Department and a member of staff from the hospital’s extensive medical record’s department. The children also learned how to do CPR in the hospital’s education department and visit the X-Ray Department.
“Hopefully Glencairn Primary pupils will get the chance to visit you again.”
Nina McGinley, Board Excellence in Care Clinical Lead & Lead for Practice Development for NHS Ayrshire & Arran commented, “It was a pleasure to be able to organise and host this event. The Primary 5 class were a credit to the school, all very enthusiastic the whole day. It is important for us to demonstrate the broad range of roles within a healthcare setting and we are grateful to the staff from all departments who took the time out of their day to visit with the children.
“We currently engage with all primary and secondary school in Ayrshire, supporting career fairs and healthcare weeks to help them consider future options in the world of work. We are looking forward to participating in a number of events in the coming months.”