We form part of the medical team and we are responsible for assessing patients, requesting diagnostic tests and making management plans for their care. We also assess unwell patients on the ward and assist with decision-making regarding admission to critical care. We are taught extended skills such as inserting arterial and central lines and are autonomous practitioners with a high level of responsibility.

The transition from the nursing role to a medical role is challenging but rewarding and does take time to adjust. But this is made easier by working with such a fantastic team. All of my colleagues, including consultants and the nursing team, are supportive, encourage me to continue to develop and make me feel like a really valued member of the team.

One of the great positives of the ACCP role is that we 'bridge the gap' between the nursing and medical team. We have been taught a new language as a member of medical staff but have the experience of caring for a critically unwell patient at the bedside to complement these new skills. We can support junior members of nursing and medical staff and be approachable to help them settle into their new role. We provide the medical team with continuity as resident doctors rotate every four to six months which has a positive effect on patient care. There is no doubt that the ACCP role is challenging but it is also exciting, rewarding and adds a new dimension to the critical care workforce.

With the stuff we see and things we do on this unit, which is incredible work, the emotional support is here. Everyone knows one another and if you come in one day upset everyone is going to enquire how you are and how you can be supported. I don't think I have ever worked in an area where that kind of level of support has been there.

I've always aspired towards improving my skills, when I arrived here I was very eager and chased every course that I could do. I volunteered for the hard duties and I've always been a quick learner. I soon found myself teaching other band 5s with certain situations and soon enough I was offered the 'Nurse in Charge' badge on shift on occasion and realised that this could be for me.

Setting an example to the others and improving standards of care and safety throughout the unit became second nature to me. At that time I applied for the band 6 position but unfortunately there was quite a lot of competition at the time. But I got a developmental post which let me develop my skills and I spent my time with band 6s and band 7 nurses who were exceptional, their leadership style was so acute and they just inspired me to keep going.

Eventually when a permanent post came available, I reapplied and I managed to get the post. Since then, it's mostly been managing COVID-19 which has been quite the development. It's been an incredible learning experience. It's pushed our skills and knowledge to the limits and at times you really had to rely on yourself as everyone else was relying on you because it was such a unique experience.

I definitely would encourage anyone with acute experience to apply to join our team as a band 5 or 6 nurse. Here, you join a family. You'll see things and have experiences that are difficult. But it's worth it, the team is worth it and it's one of the most rewarding experiences that I've ever done.

What I love about my job is making a difference. Here I've got time to think, yes there's times when it's busy but there are so many days where I make decisions, I join in with the multi-disciplinary team, the way I've contributed I can see a difference in patient's outcomes. When a relative comes in and sees their loved one, and when their loved one wakes up and they speak to one another, you see the emotion, it's just so intense, that's why I love working here.

Within two years of my band 5 role, I did a 4 month Critical Care training course and then I did a teaching and assessing course, when I got my band 6 I went on a band 6 development, leadership and management programme to help me prepare for my role. There are opportunities to progress and prepare you as you move up the ladder within the department. I would like to progress on to a band 7 role, that's my next step and I'm working towards that.

What's rewarding about this job for me is seeing our patients recover and doing well, especially when they come back and visit us after we've discharge them. It's rewarding in the sense when we support patient's relatives when there's a difficult situation and they are thankful and grateful for everything that you've done for their loved one. I always take that as a positive even in a difficult circumstance I know that I've done a good job.

To anyone thinking of applying for one of our nurse vacancies I would say if you've had experience being a band 5 or band 6 in Critical Care then apply and if you don't have that experience, don't let that put you off and apply – it's a supportive environment, you go through a well-informed induction and supernumerary period and supervision period. We get a good mix of patients to care for and it's different every day. You don't know who's going to come through the doors and it makes the job quite exciting and keeps you on your toes!

It's challenging but rewarding job working in Critical Care. I remember when I first stepped into ITU I thought 'oh my god these patients are not well, why are they asleep, why are they not moving'. But that's a normal reaction to have because it's an alien environment, the patients are sedated but once you think about it and rationalise why they are here and see what they are going through and understand it's part of their treatment pathway it becomes ok.

You have to be prepared for what you are going to see and my advice is to ask questions, don't be afraid to ask others in the team.

I had two mentors and they were very inspiring. I saw how they gave excellent care to the patients and I went home feeling that I had given it everything during those days.

It was because of one of my mentors that I wanted to come back and work in this team. I saw how my mentor Jaz cared for her patients. She did everything with a smile even when she was having a tough day. She was so inspiring to me and such a good role model and the unit gave me a really good foundation to build on my knowledge and skills. They gave me the time and support I needed.

When I started here I was so excited to be working as a critical care nurse. But nothing prepared me for COVID-19. It was terrifying when we heard it was coming. I was worried about it but I thought that we are all in the same boat. I looked at everyone else working around me and how they were coping and saw that they were getting on with the job. By following all the advice and guidance, gradually I felt less anxious and just got on with it to care for my patients. I got to the point where I was looking forward to coming in and seeing my patients getting better and I felt that I wanted to give more.

Going through COVID-19 there were times when I was asked by people if I would stay in my role, but the answer was always 'yes'. I'm still smiling and that just confirms my dream to have a career in Critical Care. Seven months down the line, I feel more grounded in my clinical skills. I've had so much support around me. To any nurses wondering if critical care is for them - I would say just go for it.

The RUH is the best place to work as a newly-qualified nurse. You receive a lot of support, on a daily basis from the team, plus there's the supernumeracy time and preceptorship programme. You also get paired up with a buddy and have one to one time with the senior sisters which I have found very helpful. I've always wanted to do nursing, I just didn't know what type and I'm so pleased that I have found my place in Critical Care.

So I took that forward and got a job and Guys and St. Thomas's hospitals in London in ICU and I did a transition intro to ICU course there and really enjoyed that and got different experiences treating patients with different illnesses. I was buddied up and I did a supernumerary period and I found it really fascinating. I felt that I had much more time to care for one patient and that felt so much more fulfilling.

I then went to Australia for a period of time and when I returned I decided not to move back to London because of my hobbies, running, cycling, and walking were not easy to do in London. It is a great place to work but it's huge and I felt anonymous sometimes but moving to RUH Bath I feel you are very valued, part of the team you know who everyone is very quickly and I have just got on very well with everyone.

It's a very privileged place to work because you know everyone can be focussed when you've got very sick patients to look after and it can really bring you together and make you very efficient and team minded and that's certainly what I see here.

Knowing that everyone knows my name and I know everyone who I'm working with makes me feel supported, safe and valued and those things that you need to have a good work life. When I come out of the hospital, turn down the road, I'm out in the countryside very quickly, that's definitely a huge benefit to working here at RUH Bath.

You are well supported here, you don't need to worry about being dropped in the deep end, and there is so much support and many development opportunities to progress in your career. You pick up new skills, ace your patient assessment skills and there's a good atmosphere of developing amongst the team. Because it's a small team, everyone is invested together. Being supported and having the right team to support your development.

We put a nursing management plan in place to support that patient either in the environment where they are or by the ICU team.

For 15 years I worked at the RUH as a critical care nurse and then went to work at the BRI for a few years. I wanted to come back to the RUH but I wanted to try something new, so when I saw a band 6 outreach role advertised I knew that it would offer me the chance to use my critical care skills in a different way.