The reasons why people choose to return to nursing are many and varied. They each have their own story.

Sue Jones-Parry, 38, trained as a nurse in Australia before moving to England in 1988 where she studied to be a midwife at Princess Margaret Hospital. She left nursing to look after her three children.

"My youngest child has just started school and I thought it would be a good time to return to nursing. "For me, returning to nursing is a case of doing something I am trained for, and without meaning to sound big headed, something I am good at.

"It is all about reclaiming my independent self and in some senses reclaiming my identity. I am working in accident and emergency at the moment and I hope to stay there when I go back to work."

She added that the return to practice course had been useful in bringing her up to date with the latest developments in the field.

Fellow course member, Christine Perkins, 50, worked as a nurse for 16 years until she stopped because she had to have a hip operation.

Christine, a grandmother, then embarked on a successful career with Thames Water. She gave up that job in 1999 to look after her ill father.

"I always wanted to return to nursing, but after having the operation on my hip, I felt that the door would be closed.

"I don't know what it is about nursing which has drawn me back. I think it is the tangibility of what you do, you can see the results of your work when someone gets better and that is really satisfying. I think in the cases of most of the people who do this job, it is more than the money."

Cecilia Dall, 40, became a nurse in 1980 and worked for 16 years in surgery before taking a five-year break to recover from a back injury.

During her time away from nursing, Cecilia took a diploma in health education in Birmingham and worked as a care assistant.

She explained: "Nursing is something I really want to do, I eventually want to work as a community nurse after completing this course. It is quite an intense course.

She added: "The course is very structured and the assessors are all very approachable. There is also a lot of support."