HEALTH and social care student Poppy Milner earned praise from her lecturers for her care and courage when she took part in an inter-college skills competition.
The 19-year-old represented Wiltshire College & University Centre in a South West Skills Challenge Health and Social Care competition at New College Swindon. The competition, designed to test students’ quick thinking and application of what they have learned, featured two practical tests, a quiz and a presentation in front of a panel of judges.
Poppy, who is in the second year of a Level 3 Health and Social Care course at the college’s Trowbridge campus, acquitted herself brilliantly, said lecturer Rhian Ramsden.
“To be an effective nurse you have to have the 6cs – care, compassion, competence, communication, courage, and commitment – and Poppy certainly showed all of them throughout the competition, we are incredibly proud of her,” she said.
“In one of the practical tests she and a partner had to deal with a patient, played by an actor, unconscious on the floor and she did really well. For us it was a real vindication of what we’ve been teaching to see her react so well in a real world situation.”
Her presentation about the challenges faced by the health and social care sector was also impressive – even more so as she wasn’t even originally due to take part.
“We did actually have two other students lined up to do it but they had to pull out and Poppy volunteered,” said Rhian. “It took me by surprise because she is one of the shyest in the group but I am really proud of her for doing it.”
Not only did Poppy, who wants to become a paramedic, have to dig deep into her knowledge in a fast-moving situation, she had to do it under the gaze of the judges.
“I’ve known her for two years and if you’d told me then that she would go to another college and be our sole competitor, I would not have believed you, she has really grown in confidence,” said Rhian.
“She loved it, to the point that as we were driving home in the car, she was saying ‘can I do it again?’. She really turned into an ambassador for this, and I think that’s just probably the best thing that comes out of this, how confident she is and the fact that she’s singing the praises of these competitions.”
