International #NursesDay celebrations at UHDB and colleague reflections on their nursing journeys
UHDB #NursesDay celebrations took place today across the Trust, with stalls sharing wellbeing and professional nursing advocacy support, information about research and clinical library services, a prize giveaway for nursing teams across sites, and much more.
Colleagues submitted what wellbeing means to them through an online form and post it notes to wellbeing colleagues, with a winning submission selected per site. Congratulations to all the winners who have secured a gift hamper prize for their teams, kindly funded by Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity.
- Queen's Hospital Burton - Ward 16
- Ilkeston Community Hospital - Heanor Outpatients
- Royal Derby Hospital - Discharge assessment unit
- Florence Nightingale Community Hospital - ward 2
- Samuel Johnson Community Hospital - Renal
- Sir Robert Peel Community Hospital - Minor Injuries
A glimpse into the past
Medical Outpatients colleagues, Susie and Nessa created a board to mark international nurses day and the important milestones within the nursing profession — Nessa revisited the past this international nurses day by wearing one of the first nurse uniforms issued to her after qualifying in the late 1970s.
Colleagues reflecting on their nursing journeys and why the chose the profession
We have collected stories from nursing colleagues across the Trust about their journey to becoming nurses, and their reflections on this year's theme, health and wellbeing.
Keno, Orthopaedic Nurse, Queen's Hospital Burton
I finished my nursing course and qualified in 2011 in the Philippines and then qualified in the UK in 2020. For me, being a nurse has been a long-time goal since I was younger, after undergoing two major surgeries successively. Whilst being in that health crisis it was the healthcare team, particularly the nurses, who helped me through this. They were strongly dedicated to their roles, highly compassionate in their care, kind and true to their words and actions. Something that I wanted to emulate and chose to do professionally every day in my own role.
Being a nurse has instilled a deep sense of responsibility in me and goes beyond normal professional boundaries. You are entrusted by patients in their most vulnerable moments, so when I put on my uniform and go to work at an orthopaedic ward, I am fully aware of the great responsibility and sense of duty I carry to keep my patients safe.
There have been times that the workload that comes with being a nurse has affected my wellbeing as a person. This is when the line that separates work from personal life has grown thin and the stress from my job has somehow crossed into my personal space. When this happen, I usually turn to my wife for support, who is also a nurse. She assures me that everything will be fine. As both of us are nurses, we constantly exchange support and encouragement in dealing with negative emotions that we may take from fulfilling our nursing jobs. We have two lovely kids for additional strength so there is plenty enough to keep us both going and be effective nurses in our designated areas of practice.
Alice Bloor, Paediatric, Queen's Hospital Burton
I chose to become a children's nurse because it is such a varied area of nursing. Not only do I get to care for children and young people, but I also get to support their families, it is a truly holistic branch of nursing. I can spend the day caring for a mix of children with varying health needs - from tiny 1lb premature babies to 17-year-olds with chronic health issues. Children have such great personalities, they are not just extensions of their parents - they have their own likes, fears and anxieties.
Children are resilient and I am particularly drawn to the joy they can bring, even at their most vulnerable. In paediatrics we don't have lines and fluids - we have 'wigglies' and 'magic bags' and I am so privileged to be part of their journeys. It sounds cheesy, but if I can make a child smile on their worst day, I know I am making a difference.
Health promotion is one of the most important parts of paediatrics. If we can instil a strong awareness of health from a young age it will follow them into adulthood. This is incredibly important with children with chronic health needs. As technology advances, these children are living longer, healthier lives. So, it important to advocate for a healthy lifestyle overall and that they are more than their diagnosis.
Dealing with children and young people with health needs can be draining, both physically and mentally. I work with a cohesive, friendly team who are brilliant at supporting each other. We celebrate the good days and look for positives in the bad. If we look after our wellbeing, it impacts directly on the standard of care for our patients. We get loads of positive feedback from our patients and families, and it means a lot that they continue to choose Ward 1 for their care.
Emma Stringer, Emergency Department, Royal Derby Hospital
As a young adult, I experienced the personal loss of my Dad, and learnt about the difference health care professionals can make to such life altering experiences for patients and their relatives. I did my degree in psychology with the view of helping people through mental health services. I learnt from my time working in care homes however that I really enjoyed the hands on aspects of nursing.
At heart I am a big geek and love that in emergency nursing there is always a new challenge, something new coming through the door and so much to learn.
Being a nurse ticks all my boxes to feel fulfilled at work - I know my interactions make a difference to people at their most vulnerable. I enjoy working as part of a large multi-disciplinary team and making meaningful connections with patients and colleagues. I believe that any role within the healthcare professional should be held by individuals, like me, who genuinely just fundamentally care about people.
It's massively important to maintain personal wellbeing a nursing role but it doesn't come naturally to us. Because we are passionate about our role it is hard to know when to stop and take a step back. We are trained to look after others, often at the detriment to our own wellbeing. I'm slowly learning that you have to put your own oxygen mask on first before you can help anyone else. I'm extremely lucky to have a really supportive family at home and at work. I think the Trust has worked really hard to show we are compassionate as leaders and this is a message I really push within my team.
Chim Mtambalika, Acute Pain Team, Royal Derby Hospital
I have been a nurse for 32 years and joined UHDB more than 23 year ago. I initially trained in Malawi and was inspired by my late mum's dedication and compassion. She was also a Nurse/Midwife who always desired to make a difference and impacted many people's lives in our family and the community we lived in.
I like helping others, and nursing gives me an opportunity to provide comfort, support, care and be an advocate for individuals during their vulnerable times. Though it may be challenging at times, because I meet different people, I use my clinical judgement and evidence to make positive impacts in people's lives. Essentially, I find nursing to be my calling. Nursing has helped me accumulate vast knowledge, various skills and a lot of experience which I utilise to help people everywhere and act as a resource for colleagues, service users, family and my community.
Nursing is a profession that focusses on caring for individuals, families and communities both ill and healthy across all settings. It involves caring for people of all age groups through health promotion, preventing illnesses and providing care for the sick. In collaboration with other disciplines, nursing focuses on meeting individuals' unique physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs which vary form one person to another.
My faith is really important to help me find comfort and support when I find things difficult and is one of the ways I 'self-care' and take care of my own wellbeing.
Aileen Power, Ward 5, Florence Nightingale Community Hospital
This Nurses Day, I reflect on my journey to becoming a nurse and I can see that I have taken the long way round. In many people’s eyes I have entered nursing at a time when many are considering retirement, yet for me the timing is perfect.
Over the years I worked in various roles in health and social care all leading the way to where I am today. It was a traumatic family event that had the most significant impact on me that changed my life and my family’s life forever. My mother had a stroke at the age of 61 which left her physically disabled and requiring a wheelchair, but the most challenging aspect following her stroke was her inability to verbally communicate due to having both receptive and expressive aphasia. For our family this hidden disability presented more of a challenge than coping with the physical impact of the stroke. The determination and fight of my mother was evident by her 10-year survival post-stroke despite the many health complications and challenges she experienced. Her death was soon followed by my father’s declining health and a subsequent diagnosis of bowel cancer which led to his death 18 months later.
I can honestly say that despite the sadness and loss of loved ones it has inspired me further to become a nurse, and to be the best nurse I can be, to not only the patient but with their families/those close to them. I also try to remember that the patient in front of me is someone’s mother, father, brother, or sister and are precious and unique individuals that deserve care, respect and dignity regardless of circumstances. Of course, the demands of nursing, the time constraints, the limited resources can all prove a challenge, and we can find ourselves wondering why we entered nursing at all. After all we are all just human and have our limitations. I find it helpful to remind myself of the journey that led me to this place, the privileged position that I hold in being able to make a difference to people’s lives, their health, their wellbeing and to those who matter to them. In doing so I also need to remind myself of the importance of self-care, which admittedly is not my area of strength. However, I am aware of it and am a work in progress!
Finally, having just qualified in March 2025 I have secured my first post as a nurse on the ‘Newly Qualified Nurse Rotation Scheme’ with Derbyshire Community Health Services across the Joined-Up Care Derbyshire system and am very grateful to have my first rotation at the Florence Nightingale Community Hospital on Ward 5 with a fantastic team who have been so supportive and encouraging. The journey to being a nurse has been a long time coming but it’s certainly been worth the wait!
Dominik Dynia, Ward 3, Florence Nightingale Community Hospital
My journey with nursing began out of frustration with my previous career in retail. After over ten years in the industry, I found myself no longer enjoying it. However, I was faced with a small problem - I had no idea what else I could do. In my thirties, I believed that I had no other skills or talents, but I knew I needed a change.
One day, I took a chance and sent an email to a nearby care home, essentially inviting myself for an interview. Despite having no prior experience, aside from caring for my grandfather a few years earlier, I felt a strong desire to help others. To my surprise, I was offered the job. Although it was physically demanding and required long hours, I found it incredibly fulfilling to spend time with the residents, engaging in meaningful conversations and keeping them active. Unfortunately, the care home was struggling, with constant issues regarding supplies and staffing. As a result, many of the amazing carers began to leave.
I knew that I could not return to retail, and my passion for helping others led me to apply for a Clinical Apprentice position at the NHS. In July 2019, I began my apprenticeship in Orthopaedic Theatres. It was an eye-opening experience to witness surgeries and learn from some incredible individuals. However, I found myself missing the personal connection and hands-on care that I had experienced at the care home, as most patients were under general anaesthesia.
In November, I transferred to a busy vascular ward, specifically ward 308 (currently 313). The team of nurses and care assistants were amazing and taught me all the necessary skills for working on a hospital ward. I was particularly interested in wound care and always sought out opportunities to assist nurses with changing dressings. Through this experience, I came to understand the importance of repositioning patients, the impact of nutrition and hydration on the body and health, and the value of providing a friendly chat to a distressed patient before their surgery.
In March 2021, I embarked on a new chapter in my nursing career by transferring from Royal Derby Hospital to Ward 3 - King's Lodge, a Neurological Rehabilitation ward at Florence Nightingale Community Hospital. Our focus is to help patients restore function and enhance their quality of life following neurological events or conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, or spinal cord injury. Due to the extended duration of patient stays, I have the opportunity to truly get to know them and provide personalised, person-centred care tailored to their specific needs. During my time at King's Lodge, I learned the immense value of multidisciplinary teamwork in patient care. Nurses, doctors, healthcare assistants, and therapists collaborate closely towards a common goal: improving the quality of life for patients.
Let's express our gratitude to the hardworking nurses in our community and beyond. Our dedication, compassion, and expertise are the foundation of healthcare systems worldwide. We should be proud to be a part of a team of exceptional nurses who are dedicated, compassionate, and committed to providing the best care possible.