NURSES DAY 2024 – PAEDIATRIC NURSE REBECCA PROVIDES ANOTHER FASCINATING VIEWPOINT

Sunday May 12th marked Nurses Day 2024, a day that recognises and celebrates the amazing work that nurses do worldwide, dedicating themselves to ensuring the delivery of the best possible support to those they care for.

We caught up with Rebecca Wenham, ex-student of Richmond Sixth Form College, currently working as a paediatric nurse on an acute general ward at a hospital in North Yorkshire. Rebecca’s answers to our questions give a real insight into life as a paediatric nurse, as well as her journey to get there, her plans for the future and advice for our current students aspiring to follow a career in nursing.

Rebecca’s account follows…

Happy Nurses’ Day! 

Thank you to the staff at Richmond School for inviting me to share my journey from Richmond Sixth Form College to life as a paediatric nurse. It has certainly been a very challenging route but one which is extremely rewarding. Caring for children and their families during a time which is most often the scariest in their lives, is very humbling. I have met some incredible patients over the years and am always amazed by their resilience and determination no matter the challenges with which they are faced.

I have been qualified for six years now and each day is so different from the next! One minute you can be providing health education to a family; to calculating complicated medications; to then finding yourself accompanying a patient on a blue light time critical ambulance transfer to a specialist hospital! You never know what might just happen next!

I joined Richmond Sixth Form College in 2012. I enjoyed my time at college and have many fond memories. I studied religious studies, music, food technology and English language. 

During my time at sixth form, I really enjoyed being involved in the different opportunities the music department provided. I played first clarinet in the orchestra for the winter production of the Wizard of Oz. I have always loved musicals, so being able to take part in one was a wonderful experience. 

Alongside another student, we helped provide original music for the A Level drama students’ production of Medea. This was performed at the Georgian Theatre. This opportunity was incredible due to being able to perform at such a unique theatre. Another wonderful musical moment involved taking part in a workshop with internationally acclaimed Clarinettist Emma Johnson. I was given the opportunity to perform a clarinet solo to her which was an amazing, once in a lifetime experience. During my time at college, I also achieved my Grade 8 clarinet.

Another highlight at the college involved going to the Good Food Show in Birmingham where we watched a cooking demonstration by the Hairy Bikers!

For a long time, I had always aspired to be a paediatric nurse. Following an interview, I was offered a place at Northumbria University. I was excited to start my nurse training and Northumbria University was a good place to study. They had a clinical skills lab which was set out like a hospital ward area as well as simulation rooms for practising nursing skills. Whilst at university, most of my practice placements were based on specialist wards at the Great North Children’s Hospital (GNCH). During my placements I had many varied experiences including caring for patients who had undergone full spinal fusions; observing hip reconstruction surgery and watching a bone marrow transplant take place. 

During shifts, there are always some events that stand out in your memory. On one particular night shift, I experienced events that involved the end of life, the beginning of life and an emergency situation of the moments between life and death. This all occurred in the first four hours of my twelve-hour shift. This was an experience that I will never forget and made me realise just how precious life truly is.

I qualified with a first class honours degree and my graduation just so happened to be on the day that marked the NHS’ 70th birthday! Following qualification, I worked at GNCH on a specialist ward. During this time I cared for patients with complex conditions and the hospital would often also team up with Great Ormond Street to co-ordinate care.

I currently work on an acute general paediatric ward in North Yorkshire. We care for patients from birth up to sixteen years (occasionally up to eighteen years). We also have a high dependency unit on the ward. Every day is so varied and children present to the ward with a variety of medical and surgical conditions. I often take charge of my unit which involves coordinating care on the ward; liaising with professionals in other care facilities e.g. GPs and community teams; assisting with emergencies in other departments including A&E and the special care baby unit; ensuring the safety of the unit; escalating concerns to higher management; supporting colleagues, as well as caring for my own patient caseload!

Last year, I spoke at a regional conference for the Yorkshire and Humber Paediatric Critical Care Operational Delivery Network. I submitted resources I had created for our high dependency unit to a panel and was chosen out of the top three in the county to present. Following this presentation, I have since been approached by doctors and nurses from other hospitals for copies of my resources so they can incorporate my designs in their units.

Nursing is a very challenging career but one that can be incredibly rewarding. I have worked with so many incredible and inspirational healthcare professionals over the years. Helping people and making a difference in their lives is one of the greatest things about being a nurse. It is a privilege to care for our patients.

For current students aspiring to start a career in healthcare, I would recommend gaining some experience such as volunteering in your local hospital. This can be really helpful in directing which area of healthcare you might want to choose a career in. There are so many!

Nevertheless, wherever life takes you, always be yourself, keep working hard, take the time to carry on doing the things you enjoy and remember to have fun along the way!

The pictures are of my nursing cohort on our last day at university and on graduation day, receiving a donation of toys for the children’s ward and a picture from the Wizard of Oz production!

It’s always such a privilege hearing about the lives of our alumni and the journeys they have taken to get where they are today. Thank you to Rebecca for being so generous with her time and for giving us such a detailed insight into life as a paediatric nurse.