New nurses join the Dudley NHS trust
More than 30 new graduates have started their nursing career as Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust continues to invest in its workforce.
The trust has recently welcomed 34 new graduate nurses and another one who is returning to practice.
They will now work on wards at Russells Hall Hospital and across the community after completing their three-year nursing degrees at a variety of universities. Many of the new nurses spent time with the Dudley trust on work placements.
Mary Sexton, Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust's chief nurse, said: "It is wonderful to welcome our new intake of nurses and we are looking forward to supporting them in building rewarding careers with us while helping us provide outstanding care to our patients.
“We have several intakes a year with our biggest being in January and September. They go on to our graduate programme which supports them as they become newly registered nurses.
“This is a really robust, supportive programme from our professional development team, to ensure they provide safe, effective care to all our patients while getting all the help they need to thrive in Dudley.
“We are delighted they have chosen to nurse within the Dudley Group.”
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust is also acting as a pilot site for a new national initiative which offers a stepping stone into a nursing career. Up to 100 clinical support workers are being trained as nurse associates, a stand-alone role from which they can continue to study to become registered nurses.
Ms Sexton added: "The national difficulties recruiting nurses is well known and this enables us to grow our workforce ourselves.
“Nurse associates support registered nurses in the care of patients in hospital and the community, but it is also a great stepping stone into a nursing career for those who wish to go further.”
