Mature student inspires next generation of nurses in west Hertfordshire
Posted: 24 November 2023
An inspirational, mature student is encouraging healthcare support workers to follow their career aspirations by sharing her almost 20-year journey to becoming a registered nurse.
Naomi Prentice, from West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, completed her two-year registered nursing associate apprenticeship in January 2023 after working at West Herts for three years as a healthcare support worker (HCA). Nursing associates are vital members of clinical teams across the NHS. It is a standalone role delivering care for patients alongside registered nurses and HCAs.
By becoming a nursing associate, Naomi fulfilled a nursing dream that began 18 years ago when an offer to start nurse training had to be turned down due to family commitments.
The nursing associate training includes registration, revalidation and fitness to practice assessments through the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Naomi plans to continue to develop in her profession and will be a registered adult nurse once she completes her nursing degree top up in 2025.
She has had great success at West Herts, finishing top of her class in her nursing associate apprenticeship at the University of Hertfordshire. She credited her success to the incredible support she received from her team in the outpatients department at Hemel Hempstead Hospital as well as the trust’s education team.
A passionate champion of education and apprenticeships, Naomi decided to share her nursing associate story to inspire newly qualified HCAs at a celebration event at Watford General Hospital. In her speech she highlighted how HCAs and other healthcare professionals can use their skills and knowledge to become nursing associates and registered nurses.
Naomi was also invited by the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board to create a video of her story to further inspire others to become nursing associates.
Naomi said: “I feel incredibly grateful to have had the opportunities to become a registered nursing associate and encouraged to progress my nursing career further. West Herts allowed me to realise the nursing aspirations that I had all those years ago. I don’t think I could have done this without support from my amazing managers: Sister Kavita Sataram and sister Olga Andersson in the Hemel outpatients department; as well as the trust as a whole.”
Kelly McGovern, chief nurse, said: “As a teaching hospital, we take pride in investing in and training our staff through education and apprenticeships. Naomi’s journey is a fantastic example of the brilliance of NHS education programmes. Well done Naomi on all your success!”
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- For media enquiries, please contact the communications team on: 01923 436280 or email: westherts.communications@nhs.net. For out of hours media enquiries please call the Watford General Hospital switchboard on 01923 244366 and ask for the on call communications manager.
- West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves people from across Hertfordshire, north London and further afield. It operates from three hospitals; Watford General, St Albans City and Hemel Hempstead. The trust has a catchment area of over 500,000 people and is one of the largest employers locally, with around 5,000 staff and volunteers.
- For more information about our hospitals, visit www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk. You can also join our followers on Twitter (twitter.com/westhertsNHS) and find us on Facebook (facebook.com/westhertsNHS).
