Shona Turnbull-Kirk shares their NHS memories

Shona share's her story working in the NHS for over 25 years.

 

When did you start in the NHS?

I started my clinical training in 1998 and qualified as a children’s nurse in 2001.

 

Why did you choose the NHS?

I guess I have always wanted to be a nurse. Even from an early age, I know that I wanted to care for and look after people. I knew that I wanted to focus on caring for children – there is something truly special about looking after them and their families when they need us the most.

 

What do you do?

Since my initial training, I have shifted direction away from direct clinical work to more system-based managerial projects. During the pandemic I was keen to actively play a part in supporting the vaccination programme, something which allowed me to use my experience to support with and in 2021 I became Associate Director for Mass Vaccinations. Since then, my area of work has grown, and as a team we consider both the proactive and timely health care initiatives we can put in place to reduce pressure on secondary care as well as considering the long-term health needs of our local population.

 

What do you enjoy most about your role then and now?

While I loved being a children’s nurse, I could only make a difference to the patients on my ward on that day, but my background means that the work that I and the team do now has much wider impact. On any given day we are working with partners across Somerset to implement systems which not only protects but enables positive change across whole communities.

 

Describe the NHS in one word

Aspirational