Local success as a dozen newly-qualified nurses achieve posts at Trust

Twelve mental health nurses who recently qualified from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich have been offered posts at Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.

All 21 students qualifying from the mental health nursing course at the UEA this year were offered a job interview by the Trust, and of the 18 newly-qualified nurses who came to be interviewed during February, the majority have now been offered fixed-term or substantive posts. The remaining nurses were approved and recommended to join the Trust’s nurse bank, which is an internal temping system to cover a variety of nursing posts within the Trust and is in regular use.

The 12 applicants awarded dedicated posts will be employed in a variety of roles across the mental health trust, including forensic care (for people referred by the court system), older people, community teams and the Trust’s Alcohol and Drugs Service (TADS).

One of the new posts will also dedicate a percentage of its time to supporting the infection control work at the Trust, which is part of a larger government drive throughout the NHS.

Sarah Robson, Deputy Director of Nursing and Patient Safety at Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It is an exciting time of year for the Trust, employing new nurses who have qualified locally.

“It is particularly relevant that we can offer redesigned posts, for example to help meet the national directive for infection control. As a mental health trust, we do not carry the same infection risks as a general hospital would, but we still take our responsibility for infection control very seriously.”

The 12 newly qualified nurses are due to start working at the Trust by the end of March. They have all qualified as registered mental health nurses through the three-year UEA course in Norwich.

website: www.nwmhft.nhs.uk