Sheila Kitson

What roles have you taken on throughout your career?

I spent 43 years working within nursing. Throughout my career, I’ve taken up roles within orthopaedics and worked in A and E. I’ve also been able to mentor, teach and train up-and-coming nurses, which I am very proud of.

Nursing was the vocation I always wanted to follow. I feel very lucky that the transitional changes to the NHS allowed me to evolve within the service.

I have now been retired for 11 years.

Did your studies at Teesside University prepare you for the world of work?

My further learning at Teesside University provided me with confidence and the ability to articulate gained knowledge. Undertaking research studies as part of my course also allowed me to analyse my particular area of nursing, widening my knowledge for improvements to practice.

The sharing of ideas, job roles and experiences with other students was beneficial to take back to the workplace and share with peers.

I also felt the studies gave me credibility when mentoring, teaching and training students and staff who were progressing through the same higher education pathways.

What advice would you give to somebody looking to pursue nursing studies?

Undertaking further studies whilst working full-time required a lot of discipline and self-management.

The NHS is ever-changing thanks to new advances in medicine, techniques and technology. Nursing studies, combined with hands-on experience, will help the next generation of nurses prepare for this.

Above all, being able to nurse and care for people is an incredible thing to do.