First locally trained health students graduate

The first cohort of healthcare students who trained while working for an island's health department have graduated.

Nearly 60 students in Jersey have qualified in a range of roles, such as mental health nursing, midwifery and radiology, at academic levels from apprenticeships to masters degrees.

The health minister said training healthcare staff in the island would build a "skilled and resilient workforce for the future".

Hazel McWhinnie, the dean of nursing, midwifery and allied health professional education, said the number of different roles students had qualified in was "quite tremendous" for "such a small island".

Vatsala Haydon completed a masters in advanced clinical practice which took five years to complete.

She said: "Being in Jersey, you have the family and tutor support, which is immense.

"That takes the pressure off, the stress off a lot.

"I wouldn't have been able to do [the course] if it was a distance learning programme or if I had to go away."

Haydon added she will continue working in Jersey.

Pedro Cunha, who graduated with a bachelors in adult nursing, said the course was "exceptional" and he was pleased to have completed the course without debt from student loans.

The government funds the cost of the degrees.

Cunha said: "I would like to stay in Jersey because I feel like [the health sector is] something to be worked on, and the community's really good, faculty's really nice and I feel like it's an awesome place to work."

McWhinnie said a lot of the students were working without pay throughout their studies.

She said: "That just gives you an example of the type of people that we have in our health service.

"They dedicate three years of their life unpaid to train to become nurses. I think that kind of sums it up, doesn't it?"

McWhinnie said: "Our huge commitment within health is to grow our own talent and we're doing that from apprenticeship all the way up, and we are really lucky that our students, that we do see succeeding, stay with us."

Health Minister Senator Tom Binet said: "By supporting people to train, learn and progress in Jersey, we are building a skilled and resilient workforce for the future.

"These students represent the next generation of healthcare professionals who will care for our community for years to come, and I would like to congratulate each and every one of them on their achievements."

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