Kathryn's story

What is the best thing about your job?

The people I care for and the people I work with - being able to walk alongside people through difficult times and be a part of their journey to recovery. I enjoy learning from our service users and the staff around me.  

I love being able to motivate my colleagues in my new senior post, while still being directly involved in patient care. I encourage my team to be creative and strive towards providing outstanding person-centred care.

 

What is your biggest daily challenge? 

Juggling the demands of a management role alongside clinical work. Clinical work with the patients will always come first, so making time to deliver the management aspects is the challenge.

 

How have you developed in your role at NSFT?

I was happy to be a band 5 nurse for 23 years. When I felt ready to venture into more senior positions, I was supported to develop my leadership skills. I was given opportunities to apply for developmental posts so that I could learn on the job and make sure it was what I wanted.  Every time I have stepped up a grade, I have been given full support from the leadership teams and have never felt alone. This has been really important to me.

 

Why did you decide to work in mental health care?

I became a mental health nurse 30 years ago after working with adults with learning disabilities in the community. As soon as I was qualified, I began working for the Trust.

I have felt privileged to be a part of many individual’s journeys – covering roles in inpatient later life, ECT, inpatient acute and now LD (learning disability) acute. Every day and in every role, I have continued to learn from those I have cared for and those I have worked alongside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every day and in every role, I have continued to learn from those I have cared for and those I have worked alongside.