A successful international recruitment campaign will see more than 20 nurses join South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb).

The nurses will join a more than 60-strong nursing team working alongside paramedics to provide clinical advice to patients in SECAmb’s 999 and NHS 111 operations centres in Crawley and Gillingham.

Following a worldwide recruitment campaign, SECAmb has successfully recruited a total of 23 nurses from Keyna, Nigeria, Malawi, Ghana and Zimbabwe. All will be able to work dual role across the Trust’s 999 and NHS 111 services having trained as NHS Pathways clinicians.

The recruitment process included the candidates successfully passing the NMC proficiency exams to become registered nurses within the UK and completion of a SECAmb’s ‘transition to practice’ course.

The first two cohorts have been trained and mentored within the 999 environment and are commencing their transition to NHS 111 while the third cohort is currently being supported through NHS 111 before they transition into SECAmb’s 999 service.

Clinical Operations Manager for Integrated Care (999 & 111) at SECAmb, Emma Webber said: “We’re really pleased to have selected this group of clinicians to strengthen our existing nursing teams working across our 999 and NHS 111 services. The recruitment and training of these new colleagues has been a fantastic example of how well our functions within our 999 Emergency Operations Centres and our NHS 111 service collaborate.

“We know our new colleagues will be of huge benefit to the Trust as we continue to increase our hear and treat rate - the numbers of patients who receive clinical advice over the phone, or with referral to another service – without the need for an ambulance response.

“We have examples of nurses working with us that have gone on to take on leadership roles and I wish every new recruit a successful and rewarding career with SECAmb.”

This Sunday, (May 12), SECAmb will join organisations across the world in celebrating International Nurses Day. Throughout the day, Florence Nightingale’s birthday, the Trust will celebrate the role of nurses in SECAmb via its social media channels.