Student nurse from Wolverhampton to join family on NHS front line
A student nurse from the Black Country is set to join other members of her family on the NHS front line.
Lucy Johnson, from Penn Fields, has started a placement at Evesham Community Hospital – hoping to rehabilitate stroke patients.
The 21-year-old, who is studying at the University of Worcester, said she was nervous but excited to help out.
She said: "I’m looking forward to it and it’s good experience to make me more well-rounded as a nurse. I’m trying to get out there and help as much as I can.
"It’s a mixture of emotions; it’s excitement to be able to go out and help, it’s nervousness because of the unknown and also that I’m leaving my family.
"But I have spoken to the deputy ward manager and he was really welcoming and it sounds like they’re going to take me under their wing."
Lucy will join her sister – a doctor – her other sister, who is a nurse, and her parents who work in a hospital immunology and biochemistry department.
The student, who is in the second year of her Mental Health Nursing studies at the university, said: "There was never any suggestion that I wasn’t going to help out in any way I could.
"Even if I wasn’t called up I was going to do some volunteer work. Nursing is a massive part of me and I would feel guilty not to help.
"I want to go out there in this climate and spread a bit of positivity if I can and make people feel better and use my skills."
The 21-year-old is interested in working with young people to target mental health issues at an early stage – helping them to improve their lives long-term.
She added the support from the university had been "brilliant" and felt as "confident" as she can be about entering the profession.
The student added: "The information and the way they have kept us in the loop right from the word go has been fantastic.
"In terms of support, I feel as confident as I can be and I don’t think the University could have done more.
"I have loved the course; I couldn’t imagine doing anything different. I want to be able to walk away from my work every single day saying I made a difference."
