University of Stirling student nurses officially marked the end of their studies last week – and more than half have already been recruited by the local health board, NHS Forth Valley.

Others have taken on new roles around the country – including in NHS Lothian, NHS Fife and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Close to 220 student nurses graduated at the University’s winter graduation ceremonies held on campus, after successfully completing their degrees.

They were joined by NHS Forth Valley’s Executive Nurse Director, Professor Frances Dodd and Director of Nursing, Professor Karen Goudie.

Professor Dodd said: “I’m delighted that so many of this year’s graduate nurses have chosen to start their careers with NHS Forth Valley.  Local staff across the organisation work hard to support nursing students throughout their undergraduate education and ensure they are supported during practice placements.

“It’s great to welcome so many of these new graduate nurses back and be able to offer them permanent positions in a wide range of local wards, departments and services across NHS Forth Valley.”

Professor Ashley Shepherd, Deputy Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport at the University of Stirling, said: “We are extremely proud of all of our graduating student nurses who have worked so hard to obtain their degrees.

“We know how valued Stirling nurses are by NHS teams and it’s no surprise so many are already working in local NHS jobs. The University has a strong reputation for producing knowledgeable and confident practitioners, who are not only equipped with the clinical skills required to succeed, but also leave us having developed the compassion, values, integrity and resilience needed to thrive in an ever-changing and evolving service.”

In 2022, the University of Stirling, Forth Valley College and NHS Forth Valley launched the first partnership of its kind with the mission to improve patient care and treatments, and boost health research and staff learning across the region.

The Forth Valley University College NHS Partnership is the first formal regional partnership between a health board, university, and college in Scotland. Building on a long-standing relationship between the three institutions, it focuses on four priority areas: learning, careers, research, and innovation.