Sam Pessoll
I started my training in January 1987 and finally got my registration in March 1990. Back then it was very different – nurses had belts and buckles, we could only wear dresses that came to your knee, your collar had to be pressed and starched, sisters had frilly cuffs that matched.
My first job was a staff nurse post on ward 19 – a male surgical ward. I stayed there until 1995 when I decided that working in a nursing home would be easier!! I couldn’t have been more wrong. I worked in private nursing care until 2004 and during that time I became resilient, autonomous and a leader. When you have to make decisions on your own you become an expert at problem solving, and an expert in frailty and long-term conditions.
When I came back into the NHS in 2004, I started my 20 years with DCHS. I have been pivotal in developing new services to support people in the community that live in care. I have been a manager of 6 district nursing teams as well as small teams that I transformed into new services.
For almost 40 years I have been a nurse. I can’t imagine being anything else. Thank you.