Case studies

'Each day I get to have a positive impact on the lives of others'

I have worked at the Great North Children’s Hospital for over three years now on their incredible bone marrow transplant unit, my dream job. My role as a staff nurse is very rewarding, especially when helping a child and their family long term through difficult times and having the privilege in seeing them smile after receiving care on our unit.

What do you love about your job? 

Each day I get to have a positive impact on the lives of others and that’s what I love about being a nurse. Working on the bone marrow transplant unit has made me feel a valued member of multi-disciplinary team and also as an individual.  The Great North Children's Hospital has provided me with great opportunities and I am very appreciative, such as being involved in the interviewing process for the unit’s accreditation and becoming an Ebola Buddy.

Why should someone come and work in your department?

I have gained many clinical skills from bone marrow transplant unit, which are unique and specialist allowing me to enhance my personal professional development as a nurse. The team on ward 3 are very supportive, friendly and make you feel very welcome which creates a family like atmosphere. I thoroughly enjoy working on bone marrow transplant unit and I would recommend it to new and experienced nurses looking for a challenging yet rewarding career.

Any tips for finding a job that you love?

During my time as a student nurse, I loved every placement I experienced. However, this made it very difficult in relation to selecting an area of work. I kept a very open mind and desired a challenge to work in an area I had not yet experienced. I wanted to work in an area where I could thrive as a staff nurse and “add many strings to my bow”. During my student life I never thought I would end up working on such a unique ward. At the beginning I thought “am I good enough for this area? With limited experience?” But three years on I have proved myself wrong. My advice would be, to never doubt your ability and always accept a challenge.

What training is needed for your job?

Ward 3 is an amazing ward which is very enthusiastic in providing all aspects of training to meet the requirements of the ward. They provide a very supportive perceptorship programme and motivate you to mentor students and nurses new to this specialist area. The ward also provides bone marrow transplant training, in partnership with Northumbria University, which greatly enhances knowledge surrounding this speciality. A large section of our job involves IV medication administration and we are lucky to have a great clinical educator who supports you every step of the way, developing crucial skills for the role.