"We still really appreciate the NHS" - Former nurse Susan's NHS journey

After 25 years working in the NHS as a paediatric nurse, Susan said she still thinks fondly of her time there, and described the family atmosphere of working in Boston Pilgrim Hospital’s paediatric unit.

Despite her aunt working for many years as a district nurse and midwife, nursing wasn’t originally in Susan’s career plans:

"I was adamant I wasn’t going to be a district nurse like my aunt, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I left school, so I was at Midland Bank for eight years.”

It was only a letter from a friend who she used to do dance classes with who described doing her nurse training at St James Hospital in Leeds, the same place as her aunt, that prompted Susan to retrain as a nurse, and she began her studies as a Registered General Nurse at Pilgrim Hospital aged 24 in 1989.

During her nine weeks placement on the paediatric ward, it was here that she realised that working with children was her vocation:

"I loved working on the children’s ward. I always thought I would be a midwife, but I did my placement in paediatrics over the Christmas period and it was wonderful working with the families and it was so much fun.

"On the whole, the children we looked after did get better and were able to go home, and it was wonderful being able to follow their journey.

“I loved my job, it didn’t feel like work because I loved it so much.”

Susan was also one of the first nurses in Lincolnshire to complete a BA Hons degree in Children’s Nursing.

Upon completing her specialism in children’s nursing at Leicester Royal Infirmary, spent her career at Boston Pilgrim Hospital as a Registered Sick Children’s Nurse, then later a Community Children’s Nurse and Specialist Practitioner.

“It was a wonderful time there,” Susan said, “Everyone knew everyone, from the consultants to the porters, and there was a real team spirit.

"Over Christmas especially was a magical time, we’d try to send the children home for Christmas if we could, even for a few hours, and Santa would come round with presents and it was so lovely – it felt like one big family.

"Even in the sad times, the families were so appreciative and grateful to us.”

After a 25 year career, Susan left the NHS to spend more time with her family, as her husband Nick was also a nurse until his retirement, and she now has her own baking business in Foxy Cakes & Bakes, but said she still looks back fondly on her time in the NHS:

"We still really appreciate our NHS,” she said, “It has changed a lot over the years, but we’re so lucky to still have it.

“We still use the NHS and we’re really so grateful to have it.”