“I am Chemotherapy Deputy Sister at Scarborough Hospital, we are a day care unit with eight chairs and deliver anti-cancer treatment to patients from Scarborough and Ryedale, Whitby and Bridlington areas. We are a small team of 14 nurses and support staff and we treat approximately 65 patients every week.

“I have worked for the NHS for 42 years and I am now retiring! I commenced my training at Scarborough Hospital in 1976 when it was a local school of nursing and qualified in 1979 and I have spent my whole career working in Scarborough. The training involved the majority of the time working on the wards with time in school; the tutors would visit the wards to work with you. It was very strict and everyone was given their full title - first names were definitely frowned upon! Patients were in hospital much longer so you got to know them so well and I still regularly see people I have nursed, which is lovely.

“I came into nursing by default as I planned to do nursery nursing and work with children, however there was no course available so I chose nursing. I have never regretted this decision as I have thoroughly enjoyed my career. Helping people and knowing you have made a difference is the best part of the job. Nursing today is very different to when I began but the core values of kindness, compassion and a sense of pride in your work will always be a fundamental part of nursing as a profession.

“Most of my career has been within surgery and I have worked on most of the surgical wards both as staff nurse and then sister, having short breaks to have my family. In 2010 I felt the time was right to change direction and moved to Chemotherapy which I have really enjoyed. It can be very stressful work but also incredibly rewarding to help patients and their families through a very difficult time. There are sad times too but with good support from colleagues it is a wonderful place to work.

“Finally on a personal note the chemotherapy unit used to be the maternity ward where I had my first daughter - it is now my place of work!”