TNA students Hannah and Lisa become stars on a national website

Two University of Bolton students are ‘starring’ on the Royal College of Nursing website. Hannah Sheldon and Lisa Grognet are Training Nursing Associates (TNA) – part of a pioneering programme creating new roles in nursing.

They are filmed for the website talking about their experiences on the innovative course. Hannah is a TNA at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. She previously worked as a support worker at a local hospital and says that as a TNA she has had varied placements – in the community, with the CCG and in hospitals. She studies at the University of Bolton one day a week and is in practice her remaining employed hours each week. Hannah says: “It’s nice to be at the forefront and a trailblazer for something new. “My day at university is a nice way to debrief from practice and expand on knowledge we have learned in practice to learn the theory behind it as well.” Lisa, who worked in the district nursing service for 10 years was more recently based in the Homeless and Vulnerable Adult Service and Asylum and Refugee Service in Bolton NHS Foundation Trust. She has now commenced the TNA programme and is gaining experience across a variety of clinical settings, hoping to take her newly gained skills back to her original placement to improve patient outcomes. She says: “It is an exciting opportunity to be part of a national programme. It is a challenging but rewarding role and it is a privilege to be here.” She describes the support system at the University of Bolton as outstanding. “We have well-established tutors and bringing that theory back into practice is really good. “I have clinical educators that I can turn to any time of the day. They are there for me and for us as a cohort. “There is always someone who is able to give us hands-on experience, advice, knowledge, guidance, very well supported for Bolton.”

The TNA is a two-year programme to train existing health care support workers or anyone new to health care for a new role in nursing. There are 65 students, aged between 18 and 58, in the cohort on the first programme at the university, which ends in January 2019. The students work at hospitals in the Greater Manchester area, including Bolton, Wigan, Manchester and Pennine. Helen Lord, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Health and Well-Being said: “All the students are amazing. They are getting wonderful opportunities. “They are caring and compassionate and are passionate about nursing.” When the students pass the course they will have a Foundation degree, an FdSc qualification. The students will then put forward to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council once the new standards and registration processes are finalised.