Job Title
Associate Director of Nursing
Where are you based?
Hospital
Is your role clinical or non-clinical?
Clinical and Non-Clinical
When you were at school, did you want to join the NHS?
Yes
What qualifications did you have when you joined the NHS?
“O” Levels, Highers, “A” Levels, Standard Grades. I went through the Scottish school system.
How did you come to work in the NHS?
I left school at the age of 17 with “O” and “A” levels which didn’t come easily to me. I took a post as an “auxiliary” nurse (now known as a Health Care Support Worker) and did this for a few months before moving to Aberdeen to complete my Nurse training. This was the beginning of my journey in the NHS and I have been on the journey for 30 years.
Briefly explain your job
I work both clinically and non-clinically. There is a strategic element to my role which requires many meetings, action plans, liaising with various people and then there is the clinical element where I get out into wards and departments and care for patients.
What do you love about your job?
The diversity, the challenges and the opportunities. My work as a nurse has taken me around the world and opened doors I never dreamt of. I have been privileged to hold the hand of new life coming into the world and of a dying person taking their last breath. I have been able to make a difference to many individuals who were scared and vulnerable when they needed medical help.
What is challenging about your role?
The NHS is challenged in so many ways and there are some days when it is difficult to know what to do next. Staffing levels and budget often play a part in our challenges. The increasing expectations from the public about what the NHS can offer are sometimes a challenge and the various different systems that don’t always talk to each other.
Is there career progression in your role and how would you get there?
Yes, there is career progression. Currently I don’t hold a Masters degree and that is quite unusual for someone practising at my level. However, I have been fortunate that my previous experience has been valued. Moving forward, it would be beneficial for me to do my Masters and in some areas this would be an essential requirement.
What would you say to a young person thinking of joining the NHS?
There are over 350 roles available within the NHS. The NHS is diverse, flexible, inclusive, mobile and rewarding. As a nurse, I have worked in various countries, been attached to the army in Iraq, worked as an off-shore medic, worked for a royal family, completed volunteer work, met some incredible people and made life-long friends. Every day is different. Each day can be challenging. However, every challenge holds an opportunity and the ability to make a difference.