#Shapeyourstory as an A&E nurse
Meet Jackie, sister, The Royal London
It’s intense, fast-paced, and comes with a lot of pressure. I love it. The camaraderie is amazing and, as well as looking after our patients, we look after each other. We all like to make sure that everyone is ok before they go home at the end of their shift.
I have learned a lot and there is a very clear pathway for nurses here. I came as a band 5, moved through some courses before going onto the trauma course which helped me achieve my main goal to work here in the major trauma centre.
I am still learning now and I have always been supported both on the floor and off it. We have really good leadership and there is always someone to look up to, someone that knows more than me, or is more confident in a certain situations.
When I started as a band 5 I obviously had plenty of nerves about coping with the pressure but I always had support, and senior nurses were always very approachable and kind. That was so important to me, and I remember it now as a sister myself.
It’s a lot of fun living in London. It’s the reason I moved here from Australia. We’re in Whitechapel so we are very central and there’s always plenty to do.
With the teamwork and the camaraderie, we are like a family here - we can have a laugh and always look after each other, even under immense pressure. If you ask me my most memorable moment, I couldn’t pick just one. What I would say is that we have had patients going through their very worst day and we have managed to make the moment a little better for them, and often saved their lives. That’s really the highlight for me.