22 June 2007

New nurses `facing the future’ - and loving it!

A group of former NHS health care assistants will this week become the first students to progress through an innovative programme which has opened up nursing training to new groups of healthcare workers at the University of Dundee.

The staff all took part in the Scottish Executive’s 'Facing the Future' initiative, aimed at existing Health Care assistants in NHS Tayside and Fife who already had some clinical experience. Under the initiative they were seconded to local colleges to complete the Higher National Certificate in Healthcare. They were then admitted to the second year of the three-year nursing programme at the University’s School of Nursing & Midwifery.

The successful students - who graduate today (Friday June 22nd) - achieved either a Diploma in Higher Education in Nursing or the Bachelor of Nursing award and have subsequently gained employment as Registered Nurses.

"This has been an amazing experience, one which I can honestly say has changed my life," said Pamela Ford (37), one of the newly qualified nurses.

"I was an nursing auxiliary in Royal Victoria Hospital in Dundee and at that time the thought of going to University was something which had never really occurred to me. But it turns out to have been the best career move I could ever have made!"

Pamela continued to work at Royal Victoria throughout her university studies, and also managed to fit in having a baby during her course. "I had my baby, a lovely wee boy who is now 14 months old, took with just a few weeks off and returned to university to finish my diploma at the same time as my friends, so now we’re all graduating together," she said.

"I am now in the best job as a staff nurse in the day surgery unit at Ninewells. I couldn’t be happier to be graduating - I feel like the happiest and luckiest person."

For Shona Ovenstone (45), from Leven, the chance to progress to a Diploma fulfilled a long-held ambition.

"I had been working as an auxiliary at Cameron Hospital in Windygates for 15 years but it had always been in my mind to do something more," said Shona, who now works as a staff nurse in the respiratory care unit at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.

"It was quite intense in the first year because I was still working as an auxiliary, doing three nights on nightshift and then going straight to college but it has all been more than worth it - I’m loving what I do now."

April Anderson (41), from Leven, has used her Diploma to make the transition from auxiliary to nurse at Cameron Hospital.

"I had come off eight years of working nightshifts and was at the stage where I really needed something more, so this was a wonderful opportunity for me," said April.

"I enjoyed myjob as an auxiliary but I knew the responsibility all lay with the nurses. Now that situation has turned around and I’m the one with the responsibility, but I’m really enjoying it."

The School of Nursing & Midwifery operates from the University campuses in Dundee and Kirkcaldy.

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk