Page 286 - Guildhall Coverage Book 2020-21

Chelsea Barrett: ‘It felt like a reality check’
Watching an online theatre performance has altered how

Kingston University adult nursing student Chelsea Barrett
intends to practise in the future.

‘It was powerful,’ says Ms Barrett, who is coming to the end of
her first year. ‘It was a different way of learning, showing us the

importance of managing patients’ and relatives’ emotions.’

The recorded 90-minute drama Careful Encounters is part of

the suite of resources developed in response to the COVID-19
pandemic by Alex Mermikides to help students whose learning

has moved from face-to-face to virtual. The show centres on

five nurses in different scenarios, who perform to the audience
as if they are talking to a patient. Afterwards, students are

given a variety of questions, allowing them to reflect on their

own emotions about nursing.

‘It's made me much more aware of how

important our voices are and the impact we can

have, especially as we’re dealing with some of the

most vulnerable people. It’s opened my eyes’

‘We were asked how we felt when we were watching – what

we experienced and whether there were any particular traits

we discovered in ourselves that we hadn’t realised were there
before,’ explains Ms Barrett.