Opportunities for people wanting to return to nursing and midwifery are now available through a brand new programme in North Cumbria.

The Return to Practice (RtP) programme is a partnership project between North Cumbria Integrated Care (NCIC) and The University of Cumbria.

The return to practice course is a combination of classroom (10 days) and placement based learning which takes six months to complete.

Programme Lead Return to Practice, University of Cumbria, Kim Hanson, said: "Experienced nurses and midwives who want to come back to the profession have much to offer patients, employers and society.

"You can apply for a place on the RTP programme regardless of how long you have been out of practice."

As part of the programme, learners will have to complete a minimum requirement of 150 practice hours in clinical practice.

Health Education England fund the university tuition fees and also provide a £500 bursary towards costs, like travel and childcare.

Alison Mells, a former District nurse with the upper Eden district nurses, decided to return to nursing to help support the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I was excited and terrified at the same time," said Alison about returning.

"Our amazing team lead Clare Martindale and all my colleagues have been so supportive, patient, and helpful."

Since her return in May 2020, Alison has been working as a community staff nurse with the Upper Eden district nursing team in Appleby.

She added: "In my role as a community nurse, no two days are ever the same. Working during the pandemic has at times been stressful, very sad, and extremely busy but also challenging and rewarding."

Alison is now applying to return to the permanent nursing register

Closing date for applications to the June 2021 cohort is April 30, 2021.

If you are interested in this role please apply via: Module Return to Practice (Level 6) Course - University of Cumbria or email Kim Hanson at kim.hanson@cumbria.ac.uk, or Kathleen Conway at NCIC, through Kathleen.Conway@ncic.nhs.uk.