‘I don’t want to go. I don’t know what it’s going to be like. The children will laugh at me. The teachers won’t want me there! Do I have to go, can’t I stay at home?
‘Stop being silly, the children will all be lovely and I am sure that the teachers will be delighted to have you there. You’ll enjoy it once you get there and start getting used to it.
‘I refuse to ring them and tell them that you’re not going in; and besides, you have to go to school – you’re the school nurse…’ (Watson, 2010).
I laugh when I think about writing this all those years ago! Nothing has changed, I still get this sort of feeling when going into schools. Now though I am going back as a full time teacher, not the school nurse.
Since January 2001, I have been working as a nurse, firstly as a student and then qualified, moving in to leadership and training.
“I have now decided to concentrate my efforts on teaching, going back to secondary education”
During this time, I have had various different positions and completed many exciting opportunities within nursing.
The most stimulating time that I have had was when I was re-deployed into the Covid mass vaccination centres.
I had previously been working as a general practice nurse and was managing the immunisation and vaccination needs for this practice.
This was a firm foundation for me to move into the Covid service and I was asked to help set up and to run this service.
I was moved across on my current banding to work as the clinical shift lead, and when needed I was asked to act up a grade to manage the whole service as required. I was very proud to have completed this work and sad when I was called back to my substantive role.
I was called back to my post as clinical skills trainer, delivering clinical skills and resuscitation training to staff across the county. As you can see I worked in various different areas, learning lots along the way.
Currently delivering clinical skills and resuscitation training to staff across the trust area I have remembered what I enjoy the most about my job, and the people that give me the most pleasure to work with.
I have now decided to concentrate my efforts on teaching, going back to secondary education. I am pleased to say that I have just been offered a full time teaching position at a secondary school just up the road from where I live
During my time as a nurse I have often felt that there are so many disparities and distinctions between nurses and other healthcare professionals.
I have always found it frustrating that nurses continue to work harder to get more skills and higher qualifications to continue working in the same role as the year before. This is understandable and in fact highly recommended for us to keep progressing.
When I started nursing there was a requirement for me to have my diploma of higher education to become a registered nurse, this has now progressed to a nursing degree, and to take other roles and progression involves postgraduate qualifications such as post graduate certificate, diploma or masters degree.
I think that this is fantastic for the nursing profession and the patients that they look after.
Over the years that I have been volunteering my time I have trained hundreds of people in basic first aid and CPR.
These have ranged from Girl Guide and Brownie groups to other youth groups such as Army, Sea and St John Ambulance Cadets, Volunteer Police Cadets, church groups and now NHS staff.
I always enjoy delivering this training and feel very proud when I hear stories of people putting my training into action to save a life!
Since the age of 18 years, I have had lots of fantastic experiences and gained many skills, completing courses with the Parachute Regiment and the SAS whilst with the Army Cadets, making arrests, taking part in riot training when a special constable, training first aiders and saving lives whilst working with the St John Ambulance.
Now, as well as working for the NHS, I offer my time at weekends and evenings to help support the ambulance service, working as a community first responder (CFR) .
As I have continued to work hard to be the best nurse that I can be I have continued to be frustrated by what appears to be some glaring inequalities in the way the NHS workforce are managed and the grades that they find themselves working in.
“I have been very lucky with all of the work that I have done and have thoroughly enjoyed all of it”
When I was working within Covid I was proud to be managing the service on a daily basis. It soon became apparent that I was being supported by managers on site who were there as senior managers, also redeployed from substantive roles.
As the shifts got more frequent and busy I was being pulled in all directions and was being asked to cover other areas and centres.
Whilst all this was going on I felt as though I was respected for what I could offer and it appeared that nurses were finally getting the respect that they deserved.
Unfortunately things soon went back to normal and there was an expectation to just “do as you are told” and to “stop thinking!”
I have been very lucky with all of the work that I have done and have thoroughly enjoyed all of it, being lucky enough to have been thanked for it from outside of the NHS (not sure that I really deserve it, certainly no more than anyone else).
Over the years I have been honoured to have been thanked for this work, and received the opportunity to share this with others also being thanked in some very special ways.
In 2011, I was awarded the Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) Success in Business Award for my continued voluntary and ongoing work on asthma management.
Then in 2013 I was Nurse of the Year for my work around bed wetting, later that year being invited to a reception with the then Prince Charles, to discuss this and my asthma work with him (very exciting).
Later in 2018, while volunteering with the St John Ambulance I received a letter of thanks from their regional director for performing CPR successfully on a patient at the Great Eastern Run (He went on to make a full recovery).
In 2019 I was invited to the Queen’s Garden Party for my volunteering work and got to take my wife to Buckingham Palace for afternoon tea (didn’t get to meet Her Majesty though).
In 2021, I received a Certificate of Recognition from the British Citizen Awards, and 2022 I was a runner up in the ARU Outstanding Alumni Awards, both for my continued volunteering work.
I was also flattered to be awarded an honorary doctorate from a church in America!! They sent a very nice letter congratulating me on my work around asthma, (however I do suspect that the £20 postage was worth more that the doctorate itself!! LOL).
All of these things have been great and I feel that I have been lucky to have been thanked in this way, however, I feel that sharing my knowledge and skills is even better.
I know!!!! I can hear you saying “SO What!” “What do we care about all the things you have done, and the places you’ve been?” And in answer to that question you absolutely shouldn’t.
The reason that I have told you this is to give a bit of background. I have worked hard to do what I have done and get to where I have got to.
I could not have done it without the guidance and support of those around me, encouraging and pushing, supporting and guiding, listening and suggesting.
All of this has come from my wife and daughters, not as you would expect from the NHS or management.
There is not much time that I am not doing or thinking about offering my time, and to know that I am having a positive impact on the local community is what keeps me motivated to offer a top class service.
I feel that now is the time for me to offer this support and input back to those who need it the most and who deserve it, to help them be the best that they can be.
“I am not turning my back on my nursing or the NHS completely as I will continue to volunteer”
I believe that now is the time for me to come back to education to help to shape the future of this country and the future of society.
The only way that I can do this is to offer my experience and skills to future generations, by standing with them as their teacher, mentor, confidante, supporter or professional friend.
I am aware that much of what I have to say will be dismissed as the ramblings of an old man, however I hope that some key nuggets of information might stick and produce compassionate, considerate and caring citizens of the future.
I am looking forward to going back to teaching and hope that all involved in my return benefit from it as much as I hope to.
I am not turning my back on my nursing or the NHS completely as I will continue to volunteer as a community first responder; so if you are local keep your eyes open, you might just see me rushing to help save someone’s life.
Paul Watson is clinical skills and resuscitation trainer, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
References
Watson P (2010) A new term: What school nurses need to know. Nursing in Practice; September/October: 56: 77-79.