There were tears of joy at a Birmingham hospital as a host of new nurses get set to embark on a potentially lifesaving career working in a busy emergency department.
Heartlands Hospital, part of Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, held a nurse recruitment and open day for its emergency department and was overwhelmed with the response which saw dozens attend for interviews, while many others took the opportunity to enjoy the open day and find out more about becoming an emergency care nurse in the future.
In total 15 offers were made for new adult nurses in the emergency department and four for nurses in the paediatric department. Associate head nurse for emergency care Sarah Brown said they were ‘delighted’ by the response.
She said: “It was a really successful and productive day and we are delighted with the quality of the candidates who attended. We wanted to make it an exciting opportunity and not just an interview process.
“We wanted them to meet the members of staff they may be working with, walk round the department including our new Minor Injuries Unit and also do some clinical skills work such as plastering and suturing techniques – get their hands dirty and really get excited about the things the emergency department can offer a qualified or newly qualified nurse.
“We were also able to showcase the educational programmes we offer, as well as the mentorship and pastoral support. We had lots of tears and happiness as we offered jobs on the day but we also had people who just came along to look around and get a feel for the place to see whether they wanted to apply in the future.”
One of the candidates who attended the recruitment day was Lauren Boon, a nursing student at Manchester University, and she was thrilled to be the first to receive an offer on the day after doing exceptionally well in her interview.
She said: “I had heard that the hospital is very modern and working in the emergency department is my dream job. I’m looking forward to working here to build up my knowledge and skills to become the best nurse possible.”
