Hartlepool students follow a patient’s journey to explore NHS careers

School and college students followed a fictional patient from a bowling injury to rehabilitation during a hands-on NHS careers event at the University Hospital of Hartlepool.

The session, hosted by University Hospitals Tees at its Health and Social Care Academy, turned a patient pathway into a practical introduction to hospital work. After an induction, each student received a healthcare passport showing the departments and professionals they would meet during the day.

A patient pathway built for learning

The scenario began with Toby, a fictional 14-year-old who injured his ankle while bowling. In the academy’s immersive suite, paramedics arrived at a virtual bowling alley to assess the injury, explain their clinical decisions and involve students in the exercise.

The group then travelled with Toby in a virtual ambulance before entering a simulated urgent and emergency care department. From there, students moved through a series of training bays covering diagnostic X-ray imaging, treatment, rehabilitation and recovery. The sequence showed that even a relatively straightforward injury can involve several teams whose work needs to connect.

Careers across the hospital

Students met staff from a wide range of roles. They included paramedics, paediatric nurses, healthcare assistants, radiographers, plaster technicians, physiotherapists, podiatrists and occupational therapists. Speech and language therapists, phlebotomists, dietitians and administrative staff also took part.

The event was organised and led by careers coordinator Suzanne Coyle-Watson. Its patient-based format was designed to help students see how those roles fit together, instead of encountering each profession as a separate job title. Feedback collected from teachers particularly highlighted the practical physiotherapy and occupational therapy sessions, as well as the immersive suite and the clear route from the accident to other services.

A training space for Hartlepool

The Health and Social Care Academy opened in September 2024 after Ward 10 at the hospital was converted into a training centre. It is run by North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with Hartlepool College of Further Education and Hartlepool Borough Council. The project received £1.25 million from Hartlepool’s Town Deal.

Its facilities include a simulation suite with realistic healthcare settings, a four-bed training bay, an immersive suite, flexible teaching rooms and simulated domestic environments. The academy also offers courses for the wider community, including first aid, communication and interview skills, and neurodiversity training. Using those spaces for careers sessions gives young people a closer look at the practical work behind patient care without placing them in a live clinical setting.

Next chance to explore NHS work

A further NHS careers evening will take place at the academy on Tuesday 27 October, from 5pm to 7.30pm. It is open to school and college students, recent graduates, people considering a career change and those returning to work. No booking is required. The academy is on the second floor of the University Hospital of Hartlepool, TS24 9AH.

University Hospitals Tees says staff, education partners and recruitment specialists will be available to discuss vacancies and routes into work. Information will cover apprenticeships, T Levels, higher education, training programmes and volunteering, alongside careers including nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, radiography, pharmacy, research, facilities and dietetics.