Why did you become a nurse?
Usually, when you ask people why they became a nurse, they will say it runs in the family, or they’ve wanted to be a nurse since they were a child. None of these applied to me. I fell into nursing by pure accident.
One day, I received a Nursing and Midwifery Council disc in the post. I had no idea who the NMC were but popped it into my computer and started watching it. It sparked my interest in nursing and I wanted to know more. I grew up in an Irish family looking after my brothers, daughter and father, so it felt like a natural progression for me. Compassion mixed with a good sense of humour was a great starting point. I undertook two courses with the Open University and volunteered at my local hospice before starting a three-year nursing degree as a mature student. I haven’t looked back since.
How has your career developed since you started nursing?
I have been a nurse for 11 years now, and always knew I wanted to work in oncology. I started as a band 5 oncology and haematology nurse before moving into a palliative care nurse specialist role. This helped improve my assessment, symptom management and communication skills.
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