We held our Loyal Service Awards in early October, including five years for Lesley Carr, one of our 111 Clinical Nurse Advisors who works remotely.
But those five years don’t even tell half of the story as this year, Lesley celebrated 50 years working within the NHS.
“I began as a Cadet Nurse at the age of 16,” Lesley told us, “which gave me a good grounding, training in basic nursing skills. I qualified at Newcastle General Hospital in 1978 and began midwifery training the following year, you were expected to have at least two qualifications to proceed back then.
“I stayed there for 30 years, with the exception of one year in Durham, at the Labour Ward before moving into Community Midwifery. Unfortunately, I developed Osteo-Arthritis but didn’t want to leave the profession, and it was around that time in the early 2000s that NHS Direct was starting up so my career took a turn into telephone triage.
“NHS Direct was the precursor to 111 and I worked under a number of different providers before becoming a remote Clinical Nurse Advisor at DHU. I love being able to help people in a way that suits my current needs. Being a part of someone’s life when they need you and being in a position to be able to talk them through their condition, help with treatment and educate them, pass on my experience about how to cope with it is what makes me a nurse.
“I also love the flexibility that DHU provides. I have physical limitations due to my Osteo-Arthritis and am a carer for my elderly mother. I am able to work hours that mean I can continue with my career, cope with my own condition and look after my mother in a way that makes me happy. It makes such a difference to have that balance between work and family.
“I love my work but am realistic enough to know that I will need to stop at some point. I’d really like to do another three years which would take me to 70 years old, a good point to reassess. But for now, I have no plans to stop doing what I’ve done my whole life, looking after people and providing care to those who need me.”