Abstract
As the general population ages, so too does the nursing workforce. A recent Queen's Nursing Institute (QNI) report (2019a) stated that 1 in 10 qualified district nurse positions have been lost in the past 10 years—without a trained workforce to replace those who retire. Workforce planning is central to ensure safe and effective care in the community setting. This article aims to provide a narrative account of one student who started her career at the University of Bolton as a trainee assistant practitioner and over time achieved her present position as a district nurse team manager. The account will include her journey from support worker to assistant practitioner, studying at the University of Bolton as a trainee assistant practitioner on a ‘work, earn and learn’ programme. It details the support she received from mentors in the trust, alongside her onward journey to registered nurse and specialist nurse practitioner qualifications.