OPERATING theatres in a Gwent hospital now have a full complement of nurses for the first time in years - thanks to a change in training policy.

Placements in theatres at Newport's Royal Gwent Hospital are back on the nurses' training round after being removed from the curriculum several years ago. This has led to nurses applying for jobs there after they qualify.

From a recent vacancy rate of around one in six, there are now no vacancies for theatre nurses, a situation not encountered for years.

Kathryn Bridgeman, senior lead nurse and president of the all-Wales theatre management group, said: "Project 2000 (a 1990s nurse training initiative) took theatres out of nurse training, so recruitment disappeared."

"We were very concerned, because how can you relate to patients if you do not know the process?

"We lobbied for theatres to be put back in again, and after Project 2000 finished, the Fitness For Practice programme included two weeks in theatres.

"That is not enough, but towards the end of training nurses can apply to spend three months in an environment of their choice.

"With project 2000, nurses did not come into theatre, so they never chose it. But now we get lots of applications for three-month placements, and more than 90 per cent who pass through then apply to work here."

Newly qualified staff nurses Maxine Hoppner and Nicola Merry followed this route.

Nicola said: "I spent two weeks in emergency theatres here and that sold it to me. Support and teamwork here is brilliant and job satisfaction very high, seeing patients right through to recovery," .

Maxine praised the three-month placement system.

"Without that, I probably would not have come here, but I'm glad I did," she said.