A WORCESTER hospice has backed a national campaign which aims to tackle a worrying shortage of nurses.

The You Can Be That Nurse Campaign has been launched this week and aims to address the current shortfall in children’s palliative care nurses by encouraging registered and student nurses to consider a career in the sector.

Acorns Children's Hospice has backed the campaign which was launched by Together for Short Lives, a charity that speaks out for all children and young people who are expected to have short lives.

Nic Miles, a staff nurse from St Peters who works at Acorns for the Three Counties on the Bath Road, said: "If you’re at a stage where you’re considering a career in palliative care nursing, from a personal point of view I very much recommend it.

"At Acorns, the children we care for visit for lots of different reasons, whether it’s respite, short breaks or end of life care.

"We treat children with a wide range of clinical needs, from cerebral palsy and heart conditions to rare genetic conditions.

"No two days are exactly the same."

Acorns Children’s Hospice has been providing specialist palliative care to life limited and life threatened children and support for their families for nearly 30 years.

The service is provided both in the hospice and in the community and is reliant on fundraising and donations to continue.

She added: “It’s so fulfilling to be able to be there for families, providing the vital care they need to get them through some of the toughest situations they will encounter.

"Acorns is a great place to work and, whilst there are challenging and sad aspects to the job, there are also lots of smiles and laughter."