YOUNGSTERS got a taste of nursing playing dress-up at the hospital.

Pupils from St Stephens, Kearsley Moor visited Royal Bolton Hospital on International Nurses Day to learn all about the profession and ask questions of their own.

Their visit was one the celebrations taking place across the hospital trust to mark the day, May 12, which is Florence Nightingale's birthday.

Some of the hospital's nurses chose to celebrate by dressing in old-fashioned uniforms and the wards displayed images of nursing through the decades.

The most important part of the celebrations at the hospital was the traditional passing of the lamp to the next generation of nurses.

Director of Nursing Trish Armstrong-Child, as the most senior nurse, handed over the light to student nurse Chloe Wright who had been put forward to receive the lamp because of the exceptional feedback she had received from other members of staff, from all professions, for going above and beyond in her daily duties.

Ms Armstrong-Child said: "The ceremony acknowledges the nursing professional formally across the organisation.

"Nursing is the best profession in the world. It is one of the hardest career paths to take but it’s an absolute privilege to be there and to care for patients and their families.

"We receive nominations to decide who should receive the lamp. Chloe was chosen following the acknowledgement she received for going above and beyond.

"We ask all our nurses to work to the best of their ability, to be kind, and to understand people are at the most vulnerable time of their lives. I feel honoured to be passing over the lamp to the next generation. I’m extremely proud of all our nurses who are flying the flag for Bolton nursing."