As we celebrate International Nurses' Day this Monday 12 May, we're sharing the stories of some of our amazing nursing colleagues who work across Hampshire Hospitals.
Meet Jodie Conduct, Child and Mental Health Nurse at Hampshire Hospitals:
What inspired you to become a nurse?
There are many factors that inspired me to become a nurse, it was a career I aspired to since I was at school. My grandparents also worked in mental health care which opened me up to the field initially. Ultimately, I had an interest in medicine (this definitely came from watching medical programmes) and a passion to care for people in a holistic way.
What has been your nursing journey and what path did you take to become dual field nurse?
At the time I was applying to universities, I saw that the University of Southampton offered the dual field course - in adult and child, adult and mental health and child and mental health nursing. Both child and mental health interested me the most as it would give me a more rounded knowledge of looking after the whole child and family. I also knew that early intervention mental health was an increasing priority in children and young people, to better help them into adulthood. I then started university in September of 2020, as expected the first year was all online. The dual field programme is a 4-year integrated masters with 1/2 placements in child health, 1/2 placements in mental health. Prior to qualifying I decided I wanted to use the benefits of both the fields when looking at jobs. By starting a job in child health, I could build up my clinical knowledge and skills, whilst aiming to improve the experience of children and young people admitted for mental health related difficulties. Now as a newly qualified nurse, I have started developing in a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) link role.
Was mental health nursing something you always wanted to do?
Yes, mental health nursing has always been something I wanted to do. I was drawn to the fact that it is so varied in the way it impacts people and always believed that people should be able to access individualised support unashamedly and readily. I liked the open-mindedness approach to understanding people and creating therapeutic relationships in a way that empowers people working on recovery.
Who or what has influenced your approach to nursing?
Everyone I have worked with across my placements as a student helped influence my approach to nursing. Not only this but before I even started university, I read Christie Watson’s ‘The Language of Kindness’ which further inspired me in this career.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
Working on a general children’s ward, every day can be so different, with children admitted for various reasons. Generally, a day is a mix of observations/ assessments, medications and getting my intravenous competencies signed off! Supporting interventions, facilitating admissions/ discharges and most importantly communicating effectively with the children, their families and the team.
What have been your most rewarding experiences in your role?
In the eight months since I’ve been qualified, I have already had many rewarding experiences. Seeing children get better and the relief on parents faces when their child is back to their normal selves again is something that always reinforces why I do this job. In terms of rewarding experiences in mental health, as a student, it would be when I am working to build a therapeutic relationship, and a person feels safe to open up to you and feels ready to access support.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your role?
The transition from student nurse to newly qualified nurse coming into winter was definitely a challenge. Suddenly you are in your blues and always looking after your own patients without someone with you. However, the team around me were great at supporting us newly qualified through the transition, even with all the silly questions I’d ask (even though there’s no such thing).
What has been one of the most memorable patient or colleague interactions you’ve had?
Honestly the most memorable interactions have been the support I’ve had from the team to build my skills and confidence as a newly qualified nurse. My memorable interaction with families is always when they thank us for looking after them and their child.
What advice would you give to aspiring nurses?
It is a demanding career both physically and mentally but that is also what makes it the most rewarding. It is worth the hard work the training requires, stick with it and don’t forget to look after yourselves.
What would you say is the best thing about being a nurse?
How every day is different and the opportunities that come with that; I learn new things every shift and it is a career where you don’t stop leaning. The privilege of looking after children and their families during difficult times is also really important.
What would you say is key to being an excellent nurse?
Communication and listening are key - sometimes silence is more powerful than words – as well as having empathy and showing compassion.
Critical thinking, and as a new nurse, knowing when something just isn’t right are other skills that are important, as well as self-awareness of what is yet to learn (I particularly found this as newly qualified).
And finally, knowing how to be kind to yourself after a difficult shift.
