Northampton student nurse who will do ‘everything in his power’ for equality shortlisted for diversity award

A young man who will do ‘everything in his power’ for equality in his role as a student nurse has been nominated for a diversity award.

Solomon Jones, who is ‘born and bred Northampton’, is halfway through his four-year Open University course.

The 22-year-old has worked as a healthcare assistant and an apprentice nurse for nearly two and half years, but has actually been employed by Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) for four years.

Solomon said: “I worked my way up as I used to clear invoices for the trust, then I became a healthcare assistant and then an apprentice.

“My mum and auntie are both nurses so I’ve been brought up around nurses.

“I like the idea of looking after people. I thought about teaching but then I found nursing through the trust.”

As well as studying, Solomon works as a healthcare assistant and shadows nurses for placement days as part of Northampton’s district nurses team.

He added: “The roles I have held have exposed me to the needs of a particularly elderly and vulnerable patient group from varied backgrounds, who may not always have the ability to advocate for themselves.

“One example of this is when I worked with the care team to provide a more diverse menu for patients who weren’t from the UK, to enable them to have food provision that was more familiar to them and their cultures.”

On top of his studies and work commitments, Solomon is also the chair of NHFT’s LGBTQ+ staff network.

“We work on how we can rule out discrimination like homophobia and racism,” Solomon added.

“Discrimination in any shape or form is not OK and not acceptable in the trust.

“I want to do everything in my power to make it as fair and as equal as possible for both our staff members and our patients.

“We have 100 people as members at the moment who are receiving our correspondence.”

To acknowledge all the work Solomon does for the equality and inclusion within the trust, he was nominated for the Mary Seacole Award at The Student Nursing Times Awards, which recognises outstanding contribution to diversity and inclusion.

Solomon said: “The award is all about going the extra mile.

“Winning would be fantastic for me and the trust, showing we really have done everything in our power to promote that culture of equality and so we can continue to grow.

“And it would be great for me for my first step in my nursing career.”

NHFT’s chief nurse, Julie Shepherd, added: “Solomon is a real example of someone who lives our trust’s mission.

“This is not only evident in the service he provides his patients, but also in how he works with and on behalf of staff as the LGBTQ+ staff network chair, and a member of the Freedom to Speak Up champions network.

“His work in these roles goes a long way towards ensuring our diverse staff feel safe, supported and empowered at work, and these things in turn enable us to deliver safe and high quality care to our patients and service users.”

Solomon will face competition from other student nurses at The Student Nursing Times Awards on April 24 when the winner will be announced.