Nursing by association

Elizabeth Bayliss and Kareema McCarthy. Pictures: Marcus Rose ALTHOUGH Elizabeth Bayliss and Kareema McCarthy work at the same hospital, Kettering General in the East Midlands, they have only recently become friends – not on the wards, but at university. That’s because the pair, who a few months ago were both healthcare assistants in different parts of the hospital, are now part of the pilot scheme to create a new breed of healthcare professional – the nursing associate. Posited as a role that sits between the healthcare assistant and the registered nurse, with its own level of knowledge and skills, it involves two years training, both on the job and at university. For 2,000 healthcare assistants, that means the immediate chance to develop their NHS careers. And for some, like Elizabeth and Kareema, it means their desire to become nurses could now become a reality. I just thought ‘Wow, I have to go for it.’ I wanted to get on that track Elizabeth, 37, had been a healthcare assistant with the NHS for 10 years, working on the surgical wards at Kettering. She had always sought training, improving her skills, and was on the verge of becoming a grade 3, which is as far as she could have progressed as a healthcare assistant. A year ago, it seemed that the mother of five’s ambition to be a nurse might never be fulfilled. “My education didn’t allow for nurse training, and neither did my finances,” she says. “If I wanted to go on and do nursing, I would have had to...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article Magazine NHS NHS bursary NHS staff recruitment nursing associates Source Type: news