Two newly-qualified nurses from Carlisle are urging others to think about a career in the local NHS.

Sammy Concannon and Kylie Riley graduated from the University of Cumbria last week after completing their nursing training.

Both have secured jobs locally, with Kylie now working as a community nurse for the Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, as part of the Carlisle Healthcare team.

Meanwhile Sammy now works in the Emergency Admissions Unit (EAU) at Carlisle's Cumberland Infirmary, employed by North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust.

They explained why they decided to go into nursing.

"I previously worked as a health care assistant for a private company, then for the Carlisle community nursing team and loved it.

"I wanted to do more and keep developing my skills so studying nursing felt like a natural progression," explained Kylie.

After working in a nursing home for a while, Sammy decided to follow in the footsteps of her grandmother, who was a nurse for about 60 years. "After having my little boy I reevaluated what I wanted out of life, and decided to go back to university to study nursing," she said.

Both women said they learnt a lot during their six university placements, which allowed them to gain experience in different areas of nursing.

Sammy said she particulary enjoyed the fast paced environment in A&E and emergency care, while Kylie, who enjoys building relationships in the community, returned to the same team in which she had previously worked as a health care assistant.

Both were proud to graduate and are enjoying their new nursing roles.

"I love it. I never wake up and dread going to work. I always look forward to it. It’ nice to see the same patients and see them get better," said Sammy.

Kylie added: "Nursing changes the way you think about things, it makes you more understanding and helps you to see the bigger picture.

"It is hard work but your efforts don’t go unnoticed and it’s so rewarding when you get a thank you from a patient or their family and you know you’ve made a difference."