Nursing

Michelle worked as a care assistant in a care home before she had her family.  Once her three children were all at school she decided she was ready to go back to work and keen to be challenged a bit more. She completed her nurse training at Staffordshire University and qualified in 2008.

She initially worked on the female acute ward at what was then Shelton Hospital.  Although she gained a lot of useful experience this wasn’t where she wanted to be so she moved to Whitchurch Cottage Hospital to work with people with dementia.  She took the opportunity to gain some community experience and when the cottage hospital closed took up a permanent post with the community mental health team which went on to become the Memory Service.  By this time she realised her passion lay with the assessment and diagnosis of people with dementia and this has been the focus of her subsequent career.  Along the way she has also gained qualifications in physical health and in prescribing as well as becoming a student mentor. 

Michelle has held a management position with the memory service but has now returned to a more clinical role as a Nurse Practitioner which she prefers.  The role involves the assessment and diagnosis she is passionate about, as well as a medication prescribing role.

Michelle says “No one wants to hear that their loved one has dementia, but if the assessment and diagnosis is done well it can make a difficult situation so much easier.  You need compassion, patience and knowledge to carry out the role but it offers me real job satisfaction.

The Coronavirus pandemic has presented some interesting challenges.  I was redeployed onto a ward which was a bit of a learning curve as things had changed.  We also went virtual and had to work out how to carry out assessments via video calls.  I was sceptical at first but it has proved successful and will certainly make us more flexible and resilient in the future – coping with bad weather for example.

 I never thought when I started caring for people aged 18 that I would be where I am now, but I have been given lots of opportunities and supported to gain the confidence to make the most of them.  I feel  MPFT is a very forward-thinking trust which recognises the value of a nurse-led service”.

Sam studied at Keele University, dual qualifying firstly as a Mental Health Nurse and then as a nurse working in acute services. After realising “something else was calling me”, Sam joined MPFT as a Community Nurse in 2018. Whilst serving as a Community Nurse, she has greatly developed her skills and knowledge and also become a mum of two. Sam’s journey of professional development led to her becoming a Senior Staff Nurse within the Trust and is working to attain a nationally-recognised District Nurse Specialist Practice Qualification.

Sam said: “I very quickly knew this is where I wanted to work and I have loved being a Community Nurse, working alongside my colleagues, who have become my friends, and supporting patients and their families.

“Being a Community Nurse isn’t about dressings, or popping round to see Doris for a cup of tea. It’s about providing life-changing support to those who need it in their own homes. It’s about supporting people who are approaching the end of life and wish to spend their final days in their own home. It’s about developing hugely important relationships with your patients and their families.

“It’s an exciting profession; one where you receive so many opportunities to learn and develop. I feel so privileged to do the job I do and would encourage anyone thinking about becoming a Community Nurse to do so.”

Charlotte originally trained to become a teacher and during her degree and post grad worked in care to support her studies. She worked in a residential home caring for people with dementia before working in the community as a carer. After qualifying as a teacher she realised it was not her dream and she returned to caring before applying to become a nurse. She studied at Keele University and fell in love with community nursing, joining MPFT's Community Nursing team from being newly qualified.

"I became a community nurse to provide patients one-to-one care in the comfort of their own home. This ensures that you can take in their whole environment and tailor their care to meet their needs providing person centred holistic care.

"I love the diversity and variety of the role. I can visit one patient to provide wound care, visit another for IV medication and then I can be making a palliative patient comfortable whilst supporting their loving family. I can manage my own list of patients how I see fit, prioritising their needs, drawing on the skills of those around me as needed. I work in a fabulous team where we support each other to provide the best patient care but also to look after one another’s welfare, in today’s world of nursing I feel this is really important.

"Community nursing needs are changing and becoming more complex, meaning that there is more chance to grow and develop skills. Community nursing hours are very friendly to family/home lives, enabling for a good work/life balance. MPFT has been supportive ever since I joined and are always looking for ways to support staff welfare and provide the best care for patients."