Nurse ambassadors from Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust are linking up with local schools across Bradford to encourage children and young people to think about a career in nursing.

Over 40 nurses from specialties across the Trust have volunteered to go into schools to run information sessions, following a call for expressions of interest by the Trust’s Acting Head of Nursing, Rebecca Bentley.

The Trust offers a wide range of nursing career opportunities including mental health, community, school and learning disability nursing. The nurse ambassador project involves nurses from these areas visiting schools, talking to children and young people about their roles, and busting myths around nursing.

At the sessions, nurses talk about about the disciplines that they work in and what choices and qualifications led them to a career in nursing. The nurses also share stories about what they enjoy about their role and memories of their careers so far.

Rebecca Bentley said of the project: “Lots of people only think of nurses working in a hospital setting. Our aim is to let people know that nursing is so much more diverse than that; nurses can visit people in their homes, or work in schools and community settings, and can choose from a huge range of disciplines to specialise in, from looking after new mums and babies to end-of-life care. We hope that this project will show young people that there is diversity in nursing – and it’s not just for girls!”

The project supports a wider national campaign started by NHS England’s Chief Nursing Officer Jane Cummings encouraging people to consider a career in healthcare. Bradford District Care Trust’s nurse ambassadors are focusing on children and young people aged 11 to 18 who are deciding which topics to study for their A Levels and at university.

Local children from Bradford’s One In A Million School in Manningham were some of the first to meet the Nurse Ambassadors. They shared their feedback following the session, including: “Today I have learnt that mental health hospitals aren’t as scary as I thought they would be. I also learnt more about nursing and that it can be a very enjoyable job and I might think about studying further about it”, and: “Nursing is not only working in hospitals, you can go everywhere around the world to work in schools, homes and go to different countries.”

The Trust’s Nurse Ambassadors have a programme of events scheduled and will be visiting schools throughout Bradford and surrounding areas until March 2019.