My nursing career began at 17, in an orthopaedic hospital in Cardiff, before I trained as a registered nurse at Morriston Hospital in Swansea. I became a ward sister on an elderly care ward, which gave me a solid grounding in acute medicine, then moved into specialist palliative care, working in the community with the West Glamorgan service run by Ty Olwen hospice before returning to support the hospital wards. I loved that work. It was a privilege to be alongside people affected by cancer, and their carers, through life-limiting illness. While working full time with a young family, I also gained my Diploma and MSc in Nursing.
I was later promoted to lead cancer nurse at the Southwest Wales Cancer Centre at Singleton Hospital, managing the oncology, haematology and radiotherapy teams and the specialist cancer nurses there. I spent 14 years in that role before taking early retirement and spending a few years with Macmillan on their mobile support unit across Wales.
Then came the chance to join the Tenovus Cancer Care Nurse-led Support Line. I started in 2021 and became lead nurse in 2022. Back then we took referrals from three hospitals in Wales. Today we take referrals from more than 13 units and run a pan-Wales service, with eight of us, all part time, supporting people across Wales.
These days I'm in a manager's role, so I'm not routinely on the phones. My job is to work with nursing teams across the Welsh health boards and to look after our Support Line team, who provide such wonderful care 365 days of the year. When things get busy I take calls myself, which I still love doing.
