This is my year, the year of the nurse...

2020 not only marks a new decade, but also 200 years since the birth of Florence Nightingale, an inspiration and founder of modern nursing.

Florence went against her family’s wishes and the expectation of women in the 1800s by choosing to study a degree in nursing. She was later the first woman to be awarded The Order of Merit in 1907, a British honour which looks to recognise important service in the Armed Forces.

Today, nurses and midwives make up the largest numbers within the NHS workforce and work across a vast range of disciplines. With just under 2000 nurses in our workforce, we are celebrating the incredible work and dedication of nurses, both within Southern Health and our wider National Health Service. We have caught up with some of our own incredible nurses and asked them to share their story...

GEORGE TSURO | SENIOR MENTAL HEALTH NURSE AT SOUTHFIELD

Hello, my name is George and I am a senior mental health nurse at Southfield, a low secure inpatient unit based in Southampton.

"Nursing was not a career I aspired to when I was younger, especially not mental health nursing. In Zimbabwe, mental health was not something that was ever talked about. It carried a lot of shame and embarrassment for families. Those in need of support were often left isolated and marginalised from the rest of the community. Whilst others were hopeful about a career as a doctor, a lawyer or maybe a pilot, I spent my time working on computers.

When I came to the UK, I went to university to study what was then called ‘Information and Communications Technology’, a world far away from the one I live in now. I graduated but really struggled to find a job and decided to pick up some side work in caring.

I was curious about mental health, as I didn’t really understand it. It wasn’t until my cousin, who was a registered general nurse, talked to me about nursing that I first considered it. I decided to jump into the deep end and accepted a health care support worker role in a specialist mental health unit for women in Brighton.

Keen to improve my knowledge of mental ill health, I made the decision to go back to university and study nursing. I nearly wasn’t accepted onto the course and I remember them saying to me “how will you be able to care for people when you have worked with computers for so long?” But I proved them wrong and graduated in 2011 as a mental health nurse.

I was curious about mental health, as I didn’t really understand it. It wasn’t until my cousin, who was a registered general nurse, talked to me about nursing that I first considered it.

Having developed a true understanding of mental illness and treatment, it really took me back to cases I had known in my home town. Mental health was a taboo subject and some people had been rejected from society, all because people didn’t understand or know how to help them. I have supported patients from all walks of life, experts in their field, the best of the best, people who consider themselves to be invincible. Mental health illness can affect anyone, it does not discriminate. And so, every time I make a decision in my work, I think ‘is this the decision I would want someone to make for me?’

I believe that being a nurse is all about understanding and accepting the person you have in front of you and doing everything you can to support them. Mental health nursing isn’t for everyone, it takes determination and a willingness to go the extra mile every time. My journey to becoming a nurse has really taught me that recovery from a mental illness is possible with the right support. This is the year to celebrate all that nurses do for patients and their families. This is my year.

JACKIE LETCHFORD | INTEGRATED COMMUNITY LEAD NURSE

Jackie Letchford

Hi, my name is Jackie and I lead the Southern Parishes Integrated Community Team. Our team visits house-bound patients, providing nursing and therapy in their own surroundings.

My nursing career began back in 1983. I was working in a bank and studying a business diploma part time. Working in a bank long term did not appeal to me. I wanted a career that allowed me to work more closely with people and that would allow me to make a real difference to their lives; it was this that led me to start my nursing training. Six years later, I graduated as a registered general nurse – I was so proud. My first role as a qualified nurse was in a hospice in Christchurch and, following relocation to Winchester, I continued my career working on various wards in Royal Hampshire County Hospital.

It was around 1996 that nursing teams in the community were starting to introduce skill mixing. This was when I applied to become a community staff nurse and, although I have stepped out a couple of times, I have found nothing as rewarding as community nursing and so it has been a part of my life ever since... The first break was when I worked as a qualified care manager in the Adult Services Hospital Discharge Team. However, I soon realised how much I missed clinical practice in the community and returned just 12 months later. In 2008 I was seconded to complete the specialist practice degree for district nursing, qualifying in 2010. I continued to develop my skills as I took on a non-medical prescribing qualification – a tough course but I passed!

I then decided to try something new and in 2014 went to work in a GP surgery, I soon realised that this was not the best role for me either and so, once again, I returned to community nursing. I really enjoy the diversity of providing nursing care in the community; being able to support people to live well in their homes and at the other end of the spectrum providing the support needed to enable patients to die peacefully in the familiar surroundings of their home. Nursing has changed a great deal over the last 30 years with many patients living longer and remaining at home with increasingly complex needs. The team’s caseload can be very challenging at times, but even now I feel that nursing in the community is a great privilege. I have tried a number of different areas of nursing and in different environments, but I am now certain that community nursing is where I belong.

SAMUEL OJO | SENIOR NURSE AT ANTELOPE HOUSE

Samuel Ojo

Hi, my name is Samuel and I qualified as a mental health nurse in 2016. Nursing was certainly something I always wanted to do, but I never thought I would become a psychiatric nurse.

Whilst in college I studied psychology and this is when I first considered working as a mental health nurse. I have been working for Southern Health for the past four years in this role and have since become a senior nurse at one of our adult mental health units, Antelope House.

Whilst the role is very challenging and comes with increased responsibility, this role is truly rewarding and I feel I am able make a real difference to those who use this service. A moment that really stands out is when I carried out CPR chest compressions on a patient and they were able to make a full recovery. Yes, being a nurse is hard at times... but it is so worth it.

Whilst the role is very challenging and comes with increased responsibility, it is truly rewarding and I feel I am able make a real difference to those who use this service.