STAFF nurse Kayleigh Arscott always knew she wanted to work with children and qualified with a degree in children’s nursing two years ago.

“I studied at Bournemouth University and all my placements were at Salisbury District Hospital – I spent time on the Sarum Ward, A&E, NICU and out in the community. Young people are more fun and bubbly than adults and it’s great getting to know the patients as well as their parents.

“You are able to build a nice relationship with them and create a positive feeling for the whole family - it can be quite scary for children and we don’t want them to have a negative view of health care so we try to make it fun.”

Morning shifts start with a handover at 7.30am with nurses allocated patients for the day.

“Firstly we introduce ourselves to our patients and families and create a daily care plan which will include when medicines and procedures are due whilst making sure families are at ease and answering any questions. We then do the medicine and follow the doctors as they do their rounds.

“We have a ward review and see what patients go home, liaising with parents and doctors and completing documentation.

“Children’s wards can be very busy but we always create a fun and calm environment," she says.

“We’re a general ward so we have orthopaedic patients, plastics and in the summer holidays, a lot of broken arms and legs and we’re also specialists in cleft palate surgery.”