Twelve student nurses and a midwife have celebrated their final day of lessons after three years of on-Island study.
The cohort, who began their studies in September 2019, have all successfully gained jobs within the Hospital.
Marion McFarlane, will shortly begin working on Corbière Ward. The 42-year-old from St Helier, said: “It doesn’t feel real that we’ve finished. I’m really looking forward to looking after my patients. I’ve always wanted to be a nurse but I never thought I would get the opportunity to study to become one.
“I’ve loved the course and the fact that I got to study on-Island. I’m a single mum so I wouldn’t have been able to have done the course otherwise. I wanted to train to be a nurse because I was cured of an illness that I had suffered from for 17 years and I nursed my mum for the last four weeks of her life.”
Chloë De La Cloche is keen to continue her studies and will now undergo further training to specialise in oncology. The 36-year-old from St Brelade said: “I’ve genuinely loved every minute of the course. We have gone through the highest highs and the lowest lows and everything in-between. I only got into nursing because I wanted to care for patients. It’s a dream opportunity for me to get this job on the Oncology Unit.”
The group celebrated their last day with a tea party where they were also presented with badges.
Dr Hazel McWhinnie, Head of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professional Education, said: “This group of students have had a very different experience during their programme as Covid meant that the majority of their first year was undertaken via online classes and when they came back into practice they were straight into the wards. They have shown amazing resilience and flexibility and I’m so pleased to see they have all secured jobs.”
Chief Nurse Rose Naylor said: “I am really proud of the programmes that we are able to offer on-Island and of all of our students who have gone on to get roles in Jersey. Investing in education programmes is really important for healthcare workforce sustainability and we look forward to welcoming new students in the future.”
The main picture shows the student nurses and teachers – note that the midwife was on duty at the time the photo was taken.
