ELIZABETH de Vogel qualified as a nurse in September 2014 from Cardiff University and became a staff nurse on the Farley Stroke Unit at Salisbury District Hospital for nine months before moving to the endoscopy department last May.

“I have always had an interest in the anatomy and physiology of the gastrointestinal tract,” she says. “And I have found my passion here in endoscopy.”

“When I was a student I worked alongside a nurse endoscopist and aspired to become one. After ten months of working as a staff nurse in endoscopy, I am now training as a nurse endoscopist alongside a consultant.

Now training to become a nurse endoscopist, she is on an accelerated programme in gastroscopy, due to finish in six months.

She then hopes to train in flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonscopy, and undertake the nurse prescribing course.

“It is an accelerated programme and I should complete my training in six months. I will then be able to take my own caseloads of patients. After completing this nurse endoscopist course in gastroscopy, I hope to carry out training in flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonscopy and also undertake the nurse prescribing course. There are so many career progression opportunities available whilst working in endoscopy.

She said: “Being a nurse endoscopist not only means carrying out the procedure which in my case is gastroscopy, but also working directly with the patients, taking their history and symptoms, going through a safety checklist and most importantly talking to the patients through the endoscopy to help make it as comfortable and least distressing as possible.

“We aim to give a diagnosis at the end of a procedure to enable a treatment plan to be formulated. Where necessary we refer to appropriate clinicians or for further tests as appropriate.

“A lot of research is needed into understanding gastrointestinal diseases and the symptoms and staying up to date with the gastrointestinal guidelines."

“I travel to Liverpool John Moores University at the moment to undertake advanced training in order for me to complete the nurse endoscopist programme and have also had the opportunity to work towards my masters degree.”

Before undertaking her nursing degree, Elizabeth, pictured above, completed a two-year course BTEC national diploma in health and social care.

“I couldn’t have done it without the support and help of the endoscopy team,” she says. “The endoscopy team are fantastic they have encouraged me to undertake this accelerated programme and helped me prepare for the initial interview which took place in London.

“It was an intensive recruitment process as it was a national interview with very few people accepted onto the training programme. I feel very privileged and thankful for this opportunity for career progression.”