Northumbria University has a long history of training generations of nurses – in fact, it’s not uncommon for the children of former nursing students to follow in their footsteps. “Mothers or fathers have had really good experiences and then the child comes through, and they qualify as a nurse. My daughter’s just graduated too,” says Prof Alison Machin, a former student who is now head of the university’s department of nursing, midwifery and health and chair of the national Council of Deans of Health. “One of the special things about Northumbria is the legacy it has left in the region.”
For a trained nurse, there is a broad spectrum of jobs available, from working in the community to being in intensive care units or making the switch to healthcare management. But in recent years, the demand for nurses and midwives has increased faster than the number being trained in the UK. Over the next 15 years, the population of England is projected to increase by 4.2%, but the number of people aged over 85, who typically need more care, will grow by 55%. The pandemic has also seen more nurses leave the profession. “There’s a perfect storm going on at the moment and there are real challenges,” says Machin.
