I’m not sure if I picked nursing or if nursing picked me. Either way. It started in 1992 and I qualified as a Registered Nurse in 1995. Pre-university courses, I was hospital trained and gained a certificate. From there I’ve had to 19 different roles in 2 countries. This is that story and it starts with a friend.

The picture below is me with my wonderful friend on a trip back to the UK. We first met many years ago when we started nurse training together and have been firm friends ever since.

We bonded over the daftness we saw, our fears, our inexperience, our hopes and dreams, plus a few nights out! I wouldn’t have survived the training without her.

My first job when I qualified as a registered nurse in 1995 was in a cardiology ward and coronary care unit. The ward was next to the intensive care unit and was the ward where several ICU patients were discharged to. The acuity was high, the mix was more than just cardiology and there was a lot to learn.

These were the days of thrombolysis and patients had at least 2 days in bed after suffering a heart attack, with a total length of stay of around a week.

It was a ward with an incredibly experienced team and I learnt from every single one of them. Despite the skill mix, there would still be days where it would be my friend and me and the 28 patients. There were days I was terrified. The healthcare assistants taught us loads (and continued to do so) and were an integral part of the high standards of care.

It's true what they say that you only start learning when you first qualify. I soaked it up. I loved it. I thought I'd never ever learn it all (and never did). I started my postgraduate diploma and my first course was on quality standards in healthcare. Reflecting on my career quality is a thread that runs through it. For this course, I researched and wrote a standard of care for the assessment of chest pain, how it was recorded and documented and how we talked to patients about it. It involved audit, reviews and presenting to the team. So I start another thread that has stuck with me - the way we bring about change in teams. How we engage, encourage and create sustainability.

Reflection Points

Look back on your career

What have been the threads that run through all that you’ve done?
What drew you to these and why do they matter?
What did you learn from those first moments, or steps, that you can pass onto others?

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