A CLASS of 30 school children from Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School were given the chance to step in the footsteps of Warrington Hospital’s nurses for the day.

Pupils in year two at the Bewsey school visited the children’s ward to learn what it really means to be a nurse first hand.

As part of the Nursing Now England campaign, launched by doctor Ruth May, Warrington Hospital is aspiring to encourage more young people to consider a career in nursing.

Run in collaboration with the World Health Organisation and the International Council of Nurses, Nursing Now seeks to empower nurses to take their place at the heart of tackling 21st century health challenges.

This national campaign was rolled out following a survey which found very few parents would suggest nursing as a career choice for their children.

There is also a bid to get more boys wanting to go into the profession and the campaign hopes this will be achieved by targeting schools.

Only one in 10 nurses are male worldwide and Warrington Hospital has only one male children’s nurse.

Future nurses uniforms, which are gender-neutral, have been designed and the hospital had a range of uniforms for the children to try on.

Pupils and staff were welcomed into a mini hospital set up in the children’s ward itself to learn about life as a nurse.

The youngsters learned how to put on a bandage, set a plaster cast, monitor observations, check temperatures, make ID badges and learn about the importance of hand washing.

The little nurses also experienced operating and making their very own stethoscopes.

They also got to try on the new gender neutral uniforms to encourage them to become a future generation of girls and boys that want to become nurses.

Sam Rotchell, year 2 teacher at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School , said: “From the moment we arrived we were immersed in all the best that the NHS has to offer.

“Passionate nurses, a welcoming atmosphere and a huge sense of fun.

“Every child has a huge grin fixed to their face and, most importantly, they are exploring, understanding and experiencing the vital work of nurses across our town.

“A massive thank you to the whole team and Warrington Hospital for an unforgettable day.”