NURSING assistant Abi Dewar began as a receptionist for Salisbury District Hospital’s Education Centre. But after 10 months she realised the role was not for her and the hospital offered her the chance to become a nursing assistant.

“Around the same time, my partner lost his grandad,” Abi said. “I had met him only once before he went into hospital and after he went in, he slowly passed away. From that day, I wanted to be a carer, I wanted to know what was going on.

“I started on the bank, which allows you to choose where you work, and after a couple of months I realised I liked it and the apprenticeship programme was offered to me.

“I wanted to be on Pitton ward, the respiratory ward, and because I knew my preference, the hospital worked alongside me to get it.

“If you’re coming in fresh and don’t know the wards, you get allocated a ward but if you’re not happy, you can swap it.

“As an apprentice, you get 75 per cent of Band Two, a decent amount considering it’s an apprentice, and you still get enhancements so things like unsocial hours pay.

“The Level Two Clinical Healthcare Support apprenticeship takes a year to complete. It includes the Care Certificate and a fulltime contract of 150 hours a month.

“The certificate includes aspects of basic care such as being a carer, washing, toileting, being there for the patient.

“And then there are extra parts alongside, like learning how to work with others, being part of a team, resuscitation, clinical observations, decontamination etc.

“The most difficult thing is when it’s really busy – there are moments when the hospital is fully packed and that can be quite stressful.

“It’s the patient interaction that I love, I love getting to know people.

“It’s like a big family here where it’s not only about caring for the patients but being there to support relatives through hard times.

“I was going to go into nursing but I have decided to stay as a carer.

“I like assisting the nurses rather than being a nurse.”