Ellie Atkins-Tate has battled arthritis, coped with the death of her beloved gran and welcomed her baby to the world while studying to become a nurse.<\/p>\n
But so close to the finish line, she fears her dreams could be snatched away.<\/p>\n
The third year student hopes to qualify in October, which should be “one of the proudest moments in my life”.<\/p>\n
Instead her hopes are overshadowed by the fear that after everything she has been through, there may not be a job in the Welsh NHS.<\/p>\n
As many as half of all new nursing graduates could be left without work<\/a>, the Royal College of Nursing Cymru said earlier this year, adding the lack of jobs represented “a serious failure of workforce planning”.<\/p>\n “It’s always been a dream of mine to be a nurse and it’s really disheartening that this may not happen,” said Ellie. <\/p>\n “I haven’t overcome grief, illness, motherhood and personal hardship just to reach the finish line and find there is nowhere for me to go.”<\/p>\n The 28-year-old from Cardiff lost her grandmother in her first year of university, was then diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, external<\/a> and also gave birth to her baby boy.<\/p>\n “Despite everything life has thrown at me… balancing sleepless nights, placement, assignments and raising a family, I have never given up on becoming the best nurse I can be,” she added.<\/p>\n Her concerns come as nearly 150 nursing and midwifery graduates from last year’s cohort remain without NHS jobs, according to Health Education and Improvement Wales, external<\/a> (HEIW).<\/p>\n