Our Accident Department Assistant (ADA) Lauren Toomer has qualified as a children's nursing associate.

Lauren joined our children’s emergency department at Queen’s Hospital in 2019.

A nursing associate is a role that bridges the gap between the duties of an ADA and a registered nurse.

ADAs carry out blood tests and observations, while nursing associates are regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and carry out more advanced duties like administering oral medication to patients.

Lauren, from Basildon in Essex, started a two-year apprenticeship with us in March 2023. The course included one day a week at university and spending the rest of her time on placements on different wards at our hospitals.

We now have three more ADAs doing the same apprenticeship. Meanwhile Lauren would like to continue her training with a degree to become a registered children’s nurse.

She said:

The best thing about the apprenticeship is you can use every skill you’ve learned straight away.

It feels like the Trust wants you to be the best you can be and they invest in you.