International Nurses Day highlights the enormous opportunities of offer

Young people across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are being made aware of the opportunities that a career in nursing can bring on International Nurses Day.

The day, organised by the International Council of Nurses is held on May 12 every year to mark the birthday of Florence Nightingale.

Nurses now pay virtual visits to schools and colleges to raise the profile of nursing and the enormous variety it provides.

Heather Johnstone Chief Nursing and Therapies Officer for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent who has a background in nursing and midwifery said: “The sheer variety of opportunities that is available in nursing is absolutely amazing and it is a career I would encourage any young person to consider.

“We probably think of nurses as mainly working on wards in a busy hospital, but within one hospital you can have nurses with many different specialisms and skills.

"You also have nurses working in GP surgeries or out in the community caring for people in their own homes. You can even deploy abroad with the armed forces or decide you like the idea of working on a cruise ship and seeing the world.

“There are nurses engaged in cutting-edge clinical research and you can decide you want to go into teaching or management as I have, helping to drive up standards and ensuring people get the care they need even if you no longer deliver it directly yourself.

“That is why we’re delighted to be connecting with schools and colleges across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent to inform out future workforce about the possibilities.”