Soon-to-qualify nurses tour South Yorkshire hospitals

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals (DBTH) hosted a number of nurse and midwifery recruitment open days in March and April, showcasing the exciting opportunities available across the Trust's main three sites for newly qualified clinicians.
Max BartleMax Bartle
Max Bartle

Taking place at Doncaster Royal Infirmary and Bassetlaw Hospital, soon-to-qualify adult and paediatric nurses and midwives were invited to go along and meet the team at DBTH and explore what it’s like to work at the Trust. The visitors were invited on a tour of both hospitals and had an opportunity to have a look around the areas they were most interested in. In all, over 100 soon-to-qualify clinicians attended, with around 60 student nurses and a further 40 midwives-in-training.

All newly qualified nurses employed at the Trust take part in a ‘Preceptorship Programme’, a scheme to provide support to nurses in their first year in post to help develop skills, maximise potential and empower them to make a real difference to patient care.

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Max Bartle is a Staff Nurse at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, joining the Trust after qualifying last year. Max attended a recruitment event in 2017 and for the last 12 months has been working on the Mallard Ward, a ward which cares for people living with delirium and dementia.

Max said: “The last 12 months has gone by in a blur and I’ve loved every minute of it! The Preceptorship Programme at the Trust has been so beneficial in giving me the opportunity to meet with other newly qualified nurses, as well as acting as a forum in which we can share our experiences. The programme involved clinical, classroom-based learning which you could then apply to the ward. It made the transition from student to qualified nurse so much easier.

“The support from my ward has been amazing, and I want to thank my Ward Manager Sonja Robson for the support she has given me, along with every single member of staff on Mallard Ward. Like so many others, I love being part of the team DBTH, and I believe this is reflected in the great person centred care our patients receive.”

Employing over 6,000 people, the Trust provides a wide-range of health services to a population of around 420,000 at three hospitals (Bassetlaw Hospital in Worksop, Doncaster Royal Infirmary, and Montagu Hospital in Mexborough) and community locations including Retford Hospital and Chequer Road Clinic.

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Moira Hardy, Director of Nursing, Midwifery & Allied Health Professionals, said: “Our recruitment events are a great opportunity to meet staff, visit departments and learn why DBTH is such a fantastic place to work. As a Teaching Hospital, we take pride in attracting and developing the next generation of nurses and midwives as they begin their career in the NHS, instilling our compassionate and caring values, while giving our new starters the skills and confidence to reach their full potential. We have recruited some great nursing staff previously at these events and hope to do so again this year.”