Page 32 - QARANC Vol 14 No 10 2015

30 QARANC THE GAZETTE
Graduation - a special day
Staff and Students from the Defence School of Healthcare Education (DSHE) took their place alongside their civilian counterparts to share in the occasion of Birmingham City University, Faculty of Health Graduation, which took place on 10 March 2014 at Symphony Hall. Those graduating included undergraduate pre-registration Nurses and Allied Healthcare Professionals and post- registration students from across healthcare professions within the Defence Medical Services, including Reservists.
Graduation is a special day for a whole host of different people, for a whole host of different reasons. For those graduating, the ceremony provides an opportunity for their hard work and achievements to be recognised and rewarded in front of their peers, family and friends. And for some military students Graduation represents a professional rite of passage as they join not only their respective healthcare profession as Nurses, Operating Department Practitioners, Biomedical scientists and Radiographers but also become fully fledged members of their Service.
As members of the Armed forces we are familiar with pomp and ceremony however Graduation is something quite special for staff too, as it affords you the opportunity to share in the success of your students, as students’ success is the ultimate reward for any member of academic or supporting staff, after all it is our raison d’être. In something akin to parental pride we watch as our students process one by one across the stage in their academic robes, looking every inch the professional as they are awarded their degree or diploma.
Left to right: Pte Young, Pte Ashford Brown, Pte Zulu, Col D Bates ARRC L/QARANC DANS, Pte Peacock, Cpl Tomlins, Pte Sinclair
Left to right: Maj DP.O’Grady QARANC, Maj C Carter QARANC, Lt Col JV Palmer RAMC Commanding Officer Defence School of Healthcare Education, Col D Bates ARRC L/QARANC DANS, Maj H Ball QARANC (v), Capt C Connelly QARANC and WO2 K Race QARANC
This year we were delighted to secure Birmingham’s new city library to host a reception, where graduates, their friends and family were joined by DSHE staff and dignitaries from the Defence Medical Services including The Dean, and the Directors of Royal Navy and Army Nursing, respectively,
to partake in refreshments and enjoy a specially commissioned graduation cake (designed by staff at DSHE). In recognition of achieving a first Class Honours Degree in Nursing, Cpl Coats, PMRAFNS had the honour of cutting the cake.
The relaxed atmosphere of the reception allowed staff and former students to mingle and engage in the all-important Graduation photo opportunity, for which special thanks must be given to Mr Freddie Brown, resident JSU photographer, as his services proved very popular. I would also like to thank Mr Glyn Ireland (QM Dept JSU, DMS (W)) for generously providing the sword used in the cutting of the cake. An enjoyable day was had by all and the good news for staff at the Department of Healthcare Education is we get to do it all again in January 2015 as we celebrate the academic success of our current students. Major L Blake
Left to right: Col D Bates ARRC L/QARANC Director Army Nursing Service, Capt I Kennedy QHNS QARNNS Head of Naval Nursing Service and Cpl Bates PMRAFNS