Jo’s Journey: From Nursing to Live-in Care in West Sussex
Nursing has been my passion from a young age. I worked hard at school, determined to be accepted into a nursing school, which I achieved at Royal Masonic and Queen Mary’s Hospital. I trained and qualified as a state registered nurse (SRN).
Starting as a Staff Nurse on a medical ward, I was subsequently promoted to Sister of Outpatients at a busy London hospital after two years.
Following a ten-year hiatus to raise my family I returned to nursing, working in a GP practice before having to take further time off to care for two of my four children. Unfortunately, they were born with Hip Dysplasia, requiring surgery and support at home, which kept me rather busy!
Re-starting my career, I joined a busy dental practice as a receptionist – and loved it, particularly the renewed interaction with people, at a time when they may have felt vulnerable. I was delighted to be a member of a team again, and proud to be providing such a valued and vital service.
As the practice grew, so did the need for a Practice Manager. I was fortunate to be promoted to that role. Working closely with the principal, I was responsible for compliance across three busy surgeries, along with managing a team of ten, and the fun that came with a wonderful group of colleagues.
Without question, my biggest single challenge came with the arrival of Covid-19 – how we continued to provide a service, dressed head-to-toe in masks, scrubs, and navigating hundreds of regulations and restrictions, remains one of my proudest achievements in my career.
In the summer of 2021, I joined my husband as a partner with Promedica24 West Sussex, and haven’t looked back. My medical experience was the perfect backdrop and complemented my passion for promoting care at home to anyone in need. There is still a surprisingly widespread lack of awareness that live-in homecare is an option, so I am committed to raising awareness of our fantastic live-in care service across the region. My goal is to enable the people we support to be cared for safely in the comfort of their own home, no matter how complex their needs, and ensure they can remain part of their local community.
I hope a combination of knowledge, compassion, and enthusiasm, along with my medical experience, will reassure anyone looking for care to contact me for help and impartial advice. My priority is always to offer advice and information with a clear, honest conversation, whether that be merely for exploratory purposes or a need for immediate support, and with full confidentiality.
About the Author
Jo is one of our Regional Care Consultants, covering live-in care services in the West Sussex area. As a trained nurse, Jo is passionate about making sure everyone receives the support they need, when they need it – contact Jo at 01243 282826 or 07901 550860 to discuss your care needs confidentially.
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