Wellbeing toolkit students on placement attracts UK-wide interest
QMU has developed an innovative toolkit to support student wellbeing on work-based placements, which is now attracting growing interest from universities across the UK.
Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh has developed an innovative toolkit to support student wellbeing on work-based placements, which is now attracting growing interest from universities across the UK.
The Placement Wellbeing Toolkit is an interactive digital resource designed to help university students prepare for, manage and reflect on the challenges of placement-based learning, helping reduce anxiety and aid success.
Created by Jenna Rhodes, Lecturer in Physiotherapy, and Louise Gill, Wellbeing Adviser at QMU, the resource is already in use at the University of Nottingham. It is also being explored by institutions including the University of Edinburgh and the University of Manchester, underlining its potential to support student wellbeing at scale across the higher education sector.
Developed through collaboration between QMU’s Wellbeing Service and its Physiotherapy programme, the toolkit provides practical guidance, reflective exercises and clear signposting to support services. It encourages students to build resilience, manage anxiety and develop positive coping strategies while gaining valuable real-world experience on placement.
Placements can be an incredibly rewarding part of students’ learning, but they can also bring new pressures and challenges. We developed this toolkit to help students feel more prepared, supported and confident, so they can get the most from their experience and fulfil their potential.
The resource is designed to be used both before and during placement. It prompts students to reflect on their experiences, engage in discussions with peers, and identify strategies to maintain their wellbeing. It also provides guidance on how and where to seek support, including QMU’s wellbeing, counselling and student support services, which remain accessible throughout placements.
Student feedback has already highlighted the toolkit’s impact. One student nurse said: “I thought the toolkit was great to make students aware of what they might come across on placement but also to give them ways to deal with these situations when they arise.” Another student dietitian commented: “Using the wellbeing toolkit on placement and knowing how to access support if I needed it helped my anxiety levels.”
Louise Gill added: “Supporting students’ wellbeing is central to their success. This toolkit empowers students to recognise when they may need support and to take proactive steps to manage their wellbeing, whether they are on campus or out on placement.”
Currently used across QMU’s School of Health Sciences, the University is now exploring opportunities to develop a generic version of the toolkit for wider application across academic programmes, as well as potential routes to commercialisation.
The project also reflects QMU’s commitment to knowledge exchange, demonstrating how its expertise in health education and student support can deliver impact beyond its own campus and benefit the wider higher education community.
Access Queen Margaret University’s Student Placement Wellbeing Toolkit
For further media information contact Lynne Russell, Communications Manager, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh E: lrussell@qmu.ac.uk (copy to press office E: pressoffice@qmu.ac.uk)
