Recognising the vital and substantial contribution our alumni make
After a very challenging upbringing and working as a carer for her nan, Joanne developed an interest in healthcare. After periods of unemployment and homelessness, she became a care assistant. A desire to have a greater impact on patient care led her to an access course which then led her to a 1st class BSc Adult Nursing degree which she completed in 2017. Less than five years post-graduation Joanne is a Diabetes Specialist Nurse and continuing her studies.
A varied career in healthcare
Born in 1973 and raised near Hallbankgate, Helen attended William Howard School. Hugely fascinated by the natural world from a small child, with a particular interest in rocks, Helen’s ambition was to study geology. In 1994 she gained her BSc Hons Geology degree from the University of Liverpool closely followed by a PhD in Geochemistry from Kingston University which saw her studying granite in the Andes of Argentina.
During her studies Helen took a year out and worked as a health care assistant in older people’s mental health at Hillingdon Hospital, Uxbridge. This year out would later become a catalyst for a future career in healthcare.
Following university Helen took a job at the Environment Agency and after seven years there she was ready for a new challenge, she wanted to do something that had tangible benefits for people. Looking back to her year out as a healthcare assistant Helen decided upon nursing and applied to St Martin’s College Fusehill Street campus at the age of 32. Scoring 100% for many of her assignments, she graduated in 2009 with a first.
During the course Helen secured a placement at a sexual health charity called Brook, based in Oldham which led to a permanent job offer post graduation. Helen and her husband relocated from Carlisle to Manchester. Helen worked for Brook for three years, learning on the job and studying further modules in contraception and family planning. She provided health & sexual education for young people many of whom were from very disadvantaged backgrounds, helping them understand not only about STIs and contraception but also about consent, healthy relationships and promotion of self-esteem.
Dropping down to a four-day week at Brook Helen studied for a Professional Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Bolton in post-compulsory education which included a placement in a category C men's prison where she taught the prisoners about healthcare including personal care, sexual health and laundry management.
Whilst not ready to go into teaching full time, Helen looked for her next challenge and worked for two and a half years as a research nurse for the innovative Salford Lung Study, a real-world study for with an unlicenced drug for asthma patients. Here Helen utilised her teaching skills to teach new staff research methodologies.
Helen next became an inspector for the Care Quality Commission, the regulators of all healthcare providers in England. Working in adult social care, Helen inspected care provision for the most vulnerable in society. Care for the service users was always her top priority, working hard to build relationships based on honesty and respect with the staff in order to help fix the issues.
Her current role as Clinical Lead for Risk and Improvement at NHS Professionals is one she has had for the past five years and here she feels she has found her niche. NHS Professionals as an organisation owned by the Department for Health and Social Care, which provides flexible staffing to the NHS Trusts with the aim of reducing agency spend. Helen’s role here is about quality improvement, patient safety, safeguarding, supporting the NHS in what they do and making a difference. Of course she is still continuing her education and alongside this role Helen is studying for a level 5 apprenticeship in Transformational Leadership.
Helen describes herself as an avid birder, amateur geologist, hill walker, peloton fan, cook and crochet fiend, lover of music festivals, usually to be found dressed in heavy metal band t-shirts. Helen is an outstanding lifelong first-class student, curious about everything, passionate about education not only for herself but for others. Helen’s career in healthcare has been diverse, showing the varied pathways possible with a degree in adult nursing. She is non-judgemental, open in her approach and ultimately deeply cares about helping teams to provide the highest quality of care, passionate about making a difference and working in a role that matters.
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