Why did you become a nurse?
Nursing is something I always wanted to do as a child. I wanted to look after people.
How has your career developed since you started nursing?
I spent the first couple of years of my nursing career in acute settings. I then moved into the community where initially I worked as a staff nurse; however, after 10 years I undertook the BSc in specialist practice (district nursing) and have since gained experience as a sister in both rural and urban areas of the local community.
I moved into management for a short time but returned after missing the patient contact. More recently I have been working towards my MSc in advanced clinical practice gaining more specialist skills in medicine which led to me undertake my current post four years ago. In 2008, I was also awarded the Queen's Nurse title.
What does your current role entail?
The main focus of my role is the management of patients with COPD, within the primary care setting. This involves managing multiple symptoms, for example breathlessness, increased sputum production, cough and hypoxia.
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