A co-designed intervention to support resilience in first-year nursing and midwifery students

This presentation shares key lessons from the co-design and evaluation of The Wellbeing Shelf, a digital intervention developed to support resilience in first-year nursing and midwifery students. Delivered within a UK university, the intervention was accessed by over 350 students and aimed to bridge the gap between wellbeing awareness and action. While quantitative scores for resilience and wellbeing declined over time, qualitative findings highlighted positive shifts in student attitudes, confidence, and peer advocacy around self-care. Students described The Wellbeing Shelf as accessible, relatable, and a valuable first step in reframing self-care as a professional skill. However, the data suggest that one-off interventions may not counterbalance the ongoing pressures of clinical placements and academic demands. The initiative has since catalysed broader institutional change, including curriculum-embedded wellbeing modules and peer-led support networks. These findings underscore the importance of sustained, inclusive, and student-centred approaches to resilience-building in healthcare education.