NHS donates children’s book to promote diversity of nursing and inspire new generations

A book written by a nurse and her granddaughter is being donated to libraries across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ahead of International Nurses Day on 12 May.

‘Ella’s Grandpa goes Hippity Hop!’ aims to reflect the diverse and varied roles that make up nursing teams in today’s hospitals.

The book is being distributed as part of an initiative to promote nursing and midwifery as a career.

Vanessa Whatley, Director of Quality and Safety, and Deputy Chief Nurse, for NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, said: “This wonderful book written by Louise Kirk, and her granddaughter Ella Sharpe, demonstrates the varied roles that nursing offers.

“By sharing this book with libraries across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, we want to celebrate nurses and hope to inspire new generations to consider nursing as a career.”

Olivia Siegl, mum of two from Bridgenorth, said: “As a mum of two young children, the book is a fantastic and fun way to teach them about the different types of nurses and the important part they play in keeping us all safe and well.

“My girls loved the story and have already been asking me about how they could become a nurse when they are older.”

‘Ella’s Grandpa goes Hippity Hop!’ was hatched in a “hackathon” in 2019 organised by Lucy Gillespie, then Project Manager at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) Institute of Nursing and Midwifery, as part of a Nursing Now Challenge.

An expert panel, including children’s author Jonathan Emmett, schoolchildren and NUH nurses, chose ‘Ella’s Grandpa goes Hippity Hop!’ from 11 strong submissions. The NUH team then worked with Nottingham Trent University to draw up a creative brief.

The book will be arriving in libraries across the county from next week.