Meet our staff - Caitlin's story

I had my daughter at 15 and was supported by wonderful staff in nursing and midwifery. I knew I wanted to offer women the same support and opportunities that I had been given. I wanted to make a difference.  

After leaving school, I took a year away from education to spend time with my daughter before returning to study Level 3 Health and Social Care at college followed by a Bsc in Adult Nursing at UEA.  

One of the highlights of my career was in my first nursing post. I was involved in planning a wedding for an end-of-life patient on the ward. It was an emotional day that I’ve never forgotten and was completely different to your average day on the ward.  

The thing I like most about being a nurse is feeling as though I have made a difference. Being part of a patient’s journey, whether it’s giving guidance to families welcoming their first child or providing comfort to adults during the end of their life. Nurses are present at the beginning of life, the end and everything in between!  

My advice would be that you can’t pour from an empty cup! Nursing requires a high level of emotional intelligence, and we spend lots of our time supporting people through the most challenging moments of their lives. Making sure you have a good support system and prioritising your own health and wellbeing will be vital.