Swindon secondary pupils experience mock medical emergency for healthcare taster day

Oxford Brookes University's Swindon campus hosted a healthcare taster day where secondary schoolchildren took part in a live simulation of a medical emergency.

The event was run on Friday 8 July, in conjunction with South Central Ambulance Service and the Undergraduate Department of Medicine at Great Western Hospital Trust.

Designed to show teenagers the diverse jobs that make up the response to a medical emergency, the day involved an actor having a simulated accident followed by a series of simulations of patient care from paramedics arriving on the scene through to surgery and after care. 

The teenagers also had the opportunity to get involved themselves, trying out their skills by taking blood pressures, immobilising patients who are sick or injured and wearing "ageing suits" that simulate what it feels like for older people who have age related issues such as restricted mobility. 

After the different scenarios there was a panel discussion so that the teenagers could ask questions about what they saw and also find out more about careers that they might not have previously been aware of and what qualifications they would need to do the appropriate training.  

They also had the opportunity to see the new state of the art technology used at Oxford Brookes which allows health and social care students to step into immersive scenarios, to prepare for real life clinical practice.

Jessica Nicacio, from the Cooper School, who took part in the day said: "It’s been great to see what the different jobs are like. I really like science.  It's given me an insight into the experiences I can expect.”

Lorraine Whatley, Senior Lecturer in Simulation and Immersive Technology at Oxford Brookes said: "There are so many roles in Healthcare professions that youngsters might be really interested in doing but simply not know about  - hopefully today we've raised awareness of those roles and explained how to access training.

"Students join our courses from a range of different backgrounds, having studied a range of qualifications from A levels and BTECs to Access to HE diplomas. All of our healthcare courses include practical placements so students leave us ready to step right into work.”