Nurse Olivia appointed student ambassador at Royal College of Nursing
A nursing student from Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has been named as a student ambassador for the Royal College of Nursing.
Olivia Burgess, from St Austell, is in the first year of a BSc (Hons) adult nursing qualification at the University Centre Truro and Penwith.
She is based at St Austell Community Hospital, where she works as a registered nurse degree apprentice.
The Royal College of Nursing is the trade union which represents registered nurses, including student nurses. It is the world’s largest nursing-specific trade union and professional body.
As a student ambassador Olivia, 18, will offer support and guidance to other student nurses.
“The Royal College of Nursing can support student nurses by offering further training opportunities. We can also offer support with university work, assignments, medication management. A Royal College of Nursing rep can also accompany you into meetings if you do not feel supported in your placement and you want to speak to someone about it.
“I realised there was a gap in Cornwall and our access to resources. The Royal College of Nursing is the biggest trade union for nurses and allied health professionals in the UK. Looking at the maps there is not a lot of support for them down in Cornwall. I was inspired on my night shift to bridge the gap, especially for student nurses.
“By having someone like me hanging around, able to speak to you, I can then signpost you in the right direction to receive support, to access resources and further training, as well as to sign you up for the Royal College of Nursing so they can support you further.”
Olivia also hopes her role will give Cornwall’s student nurses a voice on a wider scale.
“I was so passionate about getting Cornwall on the map, especially student nurses. Because of the pressures we are currently facing in this post COVID time there is a bit of a gap for our learning.
“Some new nurses go into their brand-new roles with their pins, and they do not feel like they are supported enough. So, if we can nip that in now and offer better support, better resources and learning development for both our student nurses and our nursing staff with pins it will allow for a closing of the gap in provision across Cornwall.”
Find out how to join the Royal College of Nursing.