Keele students care for the sick on pilgrimage
Keele students and lecturers from the School of Nursing and Midwifery travelled with sick people on a pilgrimage to France recently.
After a year of planning and fundraising, a group of ten second-year nursing students and four lecturers travelled for 25 hours by coach to care for 26 sick people who were making their pilgrimage to Lourdes in France.
Lourdes is home to one of the most-visited pilgrimage shrines in the Christian world, and between four to six million pilgrims travel to it each year.
Students, staff and academics from Keele raised money for the trip through bake sales, fundraising meals and a sleeping rough event on campus. Everyone attended several training events with a nursing team from Birmingham Diocese.
Dr Julie Green, Keele’s Director of Postgraduate Studies and Senior Lecturer in Nursing and Award Lead for Specialist Community Nursing, said: “Whilst in Lourdes we quickly adapted following our arduous journey and commenced our shifts.
“We worked alongside established ‘pilgrim’ nurses, many of whom had undertaken this trip annually for many years, freely giving their time and expertise to ensure the best experience for the pilgrims. It was quickly apparent that we were now part of this ‘team’.
“Lecturers worked alongside students as colleagues and we were so impressed with their skills, commitment and rapport with the pilgrims. Indeed, we couldn’t have been prouder of them.
“It was a really great experience; the impact that the Keele students had on the pilgrimage even got a mention by the Archbishop at the final Mass.”
The week-long trip comprised of shifts for masses, Stations of the Cross, a concert, anointing of the sick, a shift working in the baths as well as companionship for the patients.
Paula Mitchell, Chief Nurse for the Diocese, said “It was great having everyone from Keele as part of the team. They did the University proud.”
Patricia Hartley, Nurse Specialist in Palliative Care from Cambridge, said, “The students and staff were fabulous, a credit to Keele University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery.”
The School of Nursing and Midwifery hope that this will be the first of many opportunities to support the Birmingham Diocese with their annual pilgrimage and are already planning for next year .
For more information about studying nursing visit the Keele University website or attend the Open Day on Saturday, June 17th.