Use of university support for study process to improve nursing and midwifery students' mental health and well being and academic and clinical success
Tuesday, April 8, 2025 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
MEANING
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Session Outline
The Student Mental Health Survey (2024) identified the challenges for students trying to manage adult life independently: in addition to studies 44% of students worry about money daily; 86% of students worried about their mental health in the last year exacerbating their mental load. Those with friends on their course feel more satisfied with university support (Scott and Dickinson 2024). Over half of students cite social anxiety as an issue that prevents them forming friendships especially those who already have mental health challenges.
King’s College London has 3 stage support for study (SFS) policy to support students across the university. ‘Stage 1’ is an informal Personal Tutor meeting where a concern is identified. This presentation shares how we operate the SFS ‘Stage 2’ process within the nursing & midwifery faculty (NMPC).
We will explain the benefits of applying a university-wide policy to our local context, a faculty where we support the highest proportion of Widening Participation students of any King’s Faculty. Belonging and engagement are issues for us given the demographics of our community and nature of practise-based learning. Students struggle with financial hardship, caring responsibilities and complex lives, which may affect their ability to attend lectures or placement, making it harder to establish a sense of belonging. Students spend 50% of the course on clinical placements, which can increase the sense of isolation from the university. Prolonged lack of engagement with PTs is a source of staff anxiety and referral to SFS Stage 2 process is a valuable tool for bringing strands of a student’s life and experiences together, allowing their experience to be looked at holistically in a compassionate, student-focussed forum. Connecting appropriate academics such as personal Tutor, Senior Tutor, student support manager and where needed, university support staff in one room allows for a 360-degree approach to wellbeing so students can receive signposting and guidance on finances, mental and physical health support, disability and assessment adjustments. Students' reasons for disengaging or struggling with university / placement life and not wanting to share with the academic team, are often complex and multifaceted including embarrassment at sharing mental and physical health challenges as well as other personal issues, and using this process allows us to engage with the whole person rather than offering meetings with several different university teams. SFS 2 is a gateway to allow the student to put friendly, consistent ‘faces’ to support within the faculty, promoting belonging and sources of support both internal and external that students may benefit from as well as considering possible plans for academic support which may allow the student to complete their programme successfully. Although attending is often anxiety inducing, students report feeling 'supported' and are 'grateful' for the care shown by staff. The notes from the meeting and links which have been suggested are provided to the student and staff involved allowing students to refer back to the information if they wish to. The process can be time consuming for staff but the success achieved by students outweighs this and also reduces student attrition and failure.
Stage 3 meetings are centrally led where there is a significant concern about a student’s health & wellbeing and their ability to study at university. In addition to supportive processes, a decision can be made to mandate an interruption for the student allowing them to work with services to improve their ability to engage with their studies. In exceptional situations a student may be withdrawn from the university.
This supportive process allows students to make informed, decisions going forward. Students are less likely to ‘fall through the cracks’ especially important as NMPC students not only attend university but also undertake clinical placements with vulnerable patients.
Learning Outcomes
Bibliography
Scott, L., & Dickinson, J. (2024, Nov 7). Building community is as important as counselling wait times for student mental health. Retrieved from WONKHE: https://wonkhe.com/blogs/building-community-is-as-important-as-counselling-wait-times/
King's College London Support for Study Policy
Competencies
This session addresses the following competencies of the UKAT Professional Framework for Advising and Tutoring