I am really proud to working with Louise Sawford as an ambassador for the Transforming Perceptions of Nursing and Midwifery campaign. We are going to Blog for 31 days during July!!! Louise and I have captured amazing stories from our amazing nurses at Dorset HealthCare. So I thought I would start. I thought I would share my thoughts on nursing and my career in a letter. A letter to myself when I was a student nurse 28 years ago.
Dear Cara
Well what a career you are going to have. When you started as a student nurse at West Essex School of Nursing based in Epping Essex you never could have dreamed of the adventures nursing would take you on. You loved your training and could have chosen to work anywhere as you enjoyed it all. You were described as a ‘challenging student’ in one of the practice placements as you were not willing to go along with the ward routine when you did not feel it benefited patients and was for the nurses convenience .
Early on you developed a passion for high quality end of life care after sitting with a man in his 20’s who was dying and scared. You held his hand and he spoke to you about the travel he would never have. You put posters on the wall in his room of the places you spoke about and made him laugh with your attempts at accents from these far flung places. You went to his funeral and shed tears and felt privileged to spend time with such an amazing man.
You graduated and got married to the love of your life shortly after. You visited the ward in your wedding dress and gave cake to the patients. You progressed quickly into a junior sister’s post and then following short maternity leave for the birth of your son became a senior sister. Fun and challenges were daily occurrences but always made special by the patients and families whose lives were woven through these days. The nursing team always being a support and amazing you each day at their dedication and compassion. Academic study supported your development and growth in senior nurse leadership.
Your son spent Christmas on the wards and gave out presents it was important to you he understood the importance of your job when at times the job kept you away from him more than he would have liked.
A move to Dorset in 2003 led to the Matron years happy times supporting community hospital patients and staff to deliver special care locally for people. You became part of the community often invited into people’s homes to share special times and sad times. The team were dedicated to local care and 5 happy years passed quickly. You were sad to leave but needed to bequeath the hospital to the next Matron. The patients and families memories dance around your memory and will I hope not fade
Senior leadership at an operational level followed but you worked hard to ensure that you always had a nurse leadership role. The challenge of leading all of the community hospitals was a job you loved and secured just before your 40th birthday.
Restructures happened each 2 years over the next few years this made you restless at times and anxious about relationships you had built and then starting again. You now knew the job you wanted and study and opportunities led you to your current role as Deputy Director of Nursing and Therapies and you love it!
Such a privilege to still be in a role that supports the outstanding nurses and allied health professionals in Dorset Healthcare and to ensure patients receive the best possible care.
So Cara your career will not be without challenge and sadness at times but nursing is a fantastic awesome career and enjoy every single minute.
All my love from
Your future nurse