A nurse who discovered her passion for nursing as a 10-year-old volunteer for the British Red Cross, has now celebrated 50 years in the profession.
Carol Scott, now a senior lecturer in adult nursing at the University of Wolverhampton, began her nurse training at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham when she was 18.
“I’ve seen a lot of changes over the years, both medically and professionally”
Carol Scott
As a student nurse she worked across hospitals, and specialisms, around the Birmingham area, before returning to work in her home city of Coventry after she qualified.
She specialised as an orthopaedic nurse, being promoted to ward sister at 23. Her career then took her back to Birmingham as a night sister, and she studied for a degree and a masters in nursing at Coventry University, before moving to her current job in nurse education.
“I’ve seen a lot of changes over the years, both medically and professionally. Some changes have been for the good and others for the not-so-good,” she said.
“To be a good nurse, you need to care about people. If your heart is not in it, you’re in the wrong job. I’ve laughed with patients, and I’ve cried with them; it’s an emotional rollercoaster at times. But nonetheless, it’s the best job in the world.”
On her move into teaching, Ms Scott said: “Seeing students I’ve taught over the years dressed in their nurse’s uniforms, caring for others, and having a genuine love for their job is the best job satisfaction you could ever ask for – it’s what will make me forever proud to be a nurse.”