Volunteer NHS nurses visited pupils ‘virtually’ in targeted schools in the North East and Yorkshire as part of a drive to inspire young people in this region to consider a nursing career.

The Next-Gen Nurse workshops, led by the Talent Foundry alongside NHS England, are helping students learn about what it means to be a nurse through interactive breakout sessions. Prospective students get an overview of some of the most exciting areas of nursing, including mental health and children’s nursing.

Students work together in teams and hear from an NHS nurse with a wealth of frontline experience on the realities of the job, and myth-busting common misconceptions. Nursing can cover a range of different specialities that students can find out about, including nursing focused on research, primary and community care, adult, children’s, mental health, and learning disability.

The NHS Next-Gen Nurse workshops are held in schools and universities across England for students between the ages of 14 and 19. In the university sessions, students also experience practical sessions in the university’s lab, meet academic staff and are taught how to make their university application stand out.

Five schools in this region participated in The Next-Gen Nurse workshops, including Dukes Secondary School in Ashington, Northumberland.

Danielle Towers, Head of Sixth Form and Careers, said: “NextGen Nursing is a great classroom-based way to provide students with an insight into the role of a nurse. Students hear first-hand from staff currently working in the profession and also take part in true to life ‘have a go’ activities.”

Dukes Secondary School student Lily was among those who took part in the Next-Gen Nurse workshop. She said: “I really enjoyed hearing about the job from the three nurses, Zoe, Rebecca and Sharon. I am now planning to complete some work experience in a healthcare setting.”

Margaret Kitching, Regional Chief Nurse for NHS North East and Yorkshire, said: “Interactive workshops like these are a great way to help young people start thinking about nursing as a career. With so many options available in the nursing field, and so many routes into nursing, it can be an incredibly rewarding and exciting career option for the next generation.”

The NHS Next-Gen Nurse workshops are an example of the work being done across the country by NHS England to increase awareness of nursing careers, and come after the recent launch of its ‘We Are The NHS’ campaign – which aims to inspire people to apply for a career in nursing, amid high nursing vacancies across England.

To find out more about NHS nursing careers, search nursing careers online.

Photo caption: Students at Dukes Secondary School in Ashington, Northumberland learn about what it means to be a nurse through a Next-Gen Nurse workshop, led by the Talent Foundry and NHS England. From left: Amy-Lee, Lily and Lucy.