Emma decided she wanted to be a nurse after her father died of cancer. She qualified in 2007 and has progressed her career without compromising on the things that drew her to nursing in the first place.
Emma says:
“I had planned to be a teacher. I had a place at University but decided not to go after seeing my father die of cancer. My move into nursing was a decision based on emotion. I qualified as an adult nurse initially and then became a community nurse. Then I completed my district nursing degree a few years ago.
"I received amazing support from my line manager to get where I am today. She supported my decision to complete my district nurse degree in under 12 months and endorsed my study leave in order to achieve this. Although it was an intense year it actually turned out to be a great option for me, as my children were at that age where I had more time to focus on my career.
"Since completing my district nursing degree, my career has continued to develop significantly. I progressed from a Band 6 District Nurse to a Band 7 Sister, which opened the door into leadership and management. From there, I moved into management roles and then had the opportunity to work on the national standardisation of nursing documentation across Wales, which gave me valuable experience working at an All Wales level. That work led me into digital and informatics roles, where I have been able to combine my nursing background with service improvement and digital transformation. I then moved into a senior clinical informatics leadership role within Powys Teaching Health Board within a corporate role and now work as the Chief Nursing Information Officer, leading on nursing, digital transformation and clinical informatics.
"Throughout my career, I have remained based in Powys, progressing from direct patient care in community nursing into senior leadership. Although my role has evolved, my focus has stayed the same, improving care for patients and supporting staff to deliver safe, high quality services.
"I’d recommend nursing to anyone who’s serious about it, especially in Wales. As I’ve found out, nursing is a genuine career option these days. I have forged a good career at a pace that’s suited me, and I’ve learnt you can always rely on support to help you reach your goals.”
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