30 at 30: Joanne Cooper – A Clinical Career Journey

As an excited, and somewhat apprehensive nursing student, I started my training at Nottingham 27 years ago, a mother of 3 young sons and a member of what was locally (and maybe ironically) called the ‘mature student group’.  This was a supportive group of students also with caring responsibilities and a great example of widening participation to university.  Being Nottingham born and bred, the thought of entering the doors of Nottingham University was not something I had believed was available to me. …

30 at 30: Chloe McCandlish’s nursing journey

My nursing adventure started over 10 years ago at Nottingham, well actually far away in Hampshire at a college university fair where there was a stand for the university.   I knew very little about the University of Nottingham but a friend of mine knew she was interested so I went to the stall too.  Nottingham …

30 at 30: Celebrating Past, Present and Future Nursing Education and Leadership

It is an absolute honour and privilege to have been asked to write this guest blog as part of the School of Health Science’s 30-year celebrations for nurse education at The University of Nottingham. This is particularly important to me as, when my nursing career started just over 25 years ago, I decided to study …

30 at 30: 30 and 50 years of exceptional contribution

Just over five years ago I found my way to the University of Nottingham, attracted by knowing great friends and nurse colleagues at the university. I am honoured to hold a chair with the School of Health Sciences and I hope too my friends and colleagues from the School of Medicine see me as an honorary colleague. As a nurse who has spent a long career working in …

30 at 30: My six-year nursing rollercoaster through a worldwide pandemic and near-death experience to registration 

Growing up, I wanted to become a lifeguard. I spent every Saturday at my local swimming bath and all evening watching Baywatch over and over imagining what it would be like to actually save someone’s life and how rewarding this would be to me.  It wasn’t until I met a true gentleman (who, at the time, believed in me more than I …

30 at 30: The career of Anna Kent

Working within international humanitarian medical aid became a life goal of mine as I grew up. As many of us are, I was appalled to learn of the social and health inequalities across the world and wanted to make a positive difference. In 1999, aged 18, I was privileged to join one of the first …

30 at 30: Thoughts on Nursing at Nottingham from Dame Elizabeth Fradd DBE DL 

I am delighted to write this short piece as part of the 30-year Celebration of Nursing at Nottingham University.  It has been a privilege to observe, and at times participate in, the development of Nursing Education which has blossomed since its move from the Hospital–based School of Nursing to the University.  I am sure the success of the established Department of Nursing Studies already in the University, headed up by Jane Robertson, acted as a sound …

30 at 30: Student Nurses in the 21st century

 The role of the student nurse has somewhat changed over the last 30 years. My student nurse journey began in March 2006 at the University of Nottingham’s School of Nursing Mansfield centre. We were the second cohort to be given the opportunity to study at degree level. While UK universities began offering nursing degrees during the 1960’s, in 2005-6, 4% of nurses were educated …

30 at 30: Nursing in Nottingham – my journey from the 1980s to 2021

I came to Nottingham in 1985 to commence my nurse training at the Queen’s Medical Centre. I lived in Harvey Court nurses’ residence at the back of the hospital – now the staff car park! When I started, my training nurses were employed by the NHS and I was a student in the Nottingham School of Nursing. We were all very were excited to …

30 at 30: Sandra Lawton OBE

This week we hear from alumna, Sandra Lawton OBE – Nurse Consultant Dermatology and Clinical Lead at the Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust. Sandra has worked in dermatology for 33 years (previously at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust) and developed the role of dermatology liaison sister in 1990, the first post of this kind in the …