Poetic praise for University Physiotherapy placement students

Three University of Northampton students had a major impact on a Milton Keynes retirement village. They received glowing feedback including a poem, jointly penned by residents and staff.

Positive poetic justice followed a group of University of Northampton (UON) students after they put their healing hands to work for retirement village residents.

Many university degrees, especially in health subjects, have placements as part of the course.

Placements allow students – with supervision – to put their class-based knowledge into real-life, hands-on practice and hone their skills, communication, and decision-making.

Placements last about 5-7 weeks and see students go into a setting where physiotherapy provision may, or may not, already be in place.

For the University’s Physiotherapy MSc students, placements start during the first year of the two-year programme.

By the time they graduate, they will have clocked up 1,000 placement hours, meaning multiple benefits for members of the community, the health service, and local businesses and other organisations.

With 259 homes for the over 55s and over 300 residents, there was plenty for UON’s students, Lindsay Gauthier, Lateef Ogunwande and Alfie Smith, to do at ExtraCare.

During their time at ExtraCare’s Lovat Fields Retirement Village, the students provided exercise and stretching suggestions and delivered falls prevention workshops.

After a good job well done, the students were complimented by ExtraCare residents and staff on their professionalism, confidentiality, empathy, safe practise, and care.

The progress of one resident, a keen bowler, was particularly remarkable. She had a total knee replacement in February this year, which had knocked her confidence. She was keen to get back to bowling but was too scared to make the moves and sat on the sidelines as an observer to other people’s fun.

The students guided her through exercises, giving her the confidence to go back to bowling. She had been low in mood, but being able to play her favourite game lifted her spirits.

The poem is:

 

At Lovat Fields, where kindness grows

Among the garden’s gentle rows

Three bright stars have graced our days

With healing hands and thoughtful ways.

 

Alfie brings a cheerful grin

With steady care from deep within

He lifts with laughter, moves with grace

And lights up every resident’s face.

 

Lateef walks in with calm and poise

A quiet strength, a heart full of noise

Of joy, of purpose, steady and true

Helping legs to dance like they once knew.

 

Lindsay shines with warmth so wide

A guiding voice, a gentle guide

With every stretch and balanced stand

She’s there to lend a helping hand.

 

Together they have made us strong

With patient steps and healing song

Not just in bodies, but in soul

They’ve helped to make the village whole.

 

So here’s to Alfie, Lateef, and Linds

Our physio stars, our newfound friends

Thank you for the care you show

May your futures bloom and glow.

 

Lindsay says: “Throughout the placement, the staff and residents welcomed us with open arms. Every day, I was excited to go to placement, interact with the residents, hear their stories, and hopefully impact them in a positive way.

“The feedback we had received from everyone had given me a good idea that we had succeeded in leaving a positive impression. I was very lucky to have this experience and will carry what I learned from the ExtraCare family with me throughout my career.”

Natasha Slater, Associate Lecturer in Physiotherapy, says: “We are used to receiving excellent feedback about our students, but to have a poem submitted is not something we ever expected.

“The compliments from the residents have been amazing to read – they made me feel like a proud parent! – and they are asking if they will come back. They have made a huge impact and, as you can tell by their reflections in their blog, they felt just as happy to be at ExtraCare.

“The beauty of a placement is that it’s win-win for all. People have new, or greater, access to healthcare, which reduces NHS referrals so benefits our already busy health service, it promotes that branch of healthcare and how it can help people, and the students gain highly valuable experience.”

Kate Jarvis, Wellbeing Lead at The ExtraCare Charitable Trust, said: “The student placements within our retirement villages have been a fantastic experience for both ExtraCare residents and the staff.

“The overall response has been overwhelmingly encouraging, with their work being well-received and appreciated for its person-centred approach. The poem is a testament to how well they have been received by everyone.

“Their inspiration and dedication created an environment rich with opportunities for the entire village, and most importantly supported our residents to live better lives.”

If you are an employer and want to find out more about the benefits of health placements through the University, email placements@northampton.ac.uk.