As we celebrate International Nurses’ Day (12th May), we highlight the story of a dedicated nurse who has overcome numerous challenges to pursue her passion for patient care.
Natalie Bassett, a Junior Sister in the Emergency Department (ED) at Macclesfield Hospital, has been with the Trust since 2004.
Reflecting on her early years, Natalie shares, "I left school without any qualifications. I just didn't like it, didn't enjoy it. I got myself a Saturday job in a nursing home and loved every minute of it. As soon as I was old enough, they employed me full-time."
Working in the nursing home was a pivotal experience for Natalie. "That's what inspired me to become a nurse, really. Being in that environment, learning about all the residents' stories, especially those from the early 1900s, was just amazing," she recalls. "I did look into starting my nursing, but I fell pregnant, so that didn't come to fruition. Life happens, and I ended up being a single mum, so I still couldn't pursue nursing at that time," she explains.
Natalie's journey took her to Macclesfield in 2004, where she attended a recruitment open day and secured a role as a Healthcare Assistant (HCA) on the Medical Assessment Unit (MAU). "I absolutely loved it. Lived for it. I really wanted to pursue nursing, but my financial situation and being a single parent made it very difficult," she shares.
Natalie moved back to Chorley to be with her family, hoping their support would enable her to start her nursing career. "Unfortunately, that didn't happen. So, I got a job at Wigan Hospital and worked there for a while. I missed the atmosphere at Macclesfield Hospital, missed my friends and family up here.
“Because it's such a small Trust, I love the fact that I can walk down any corridor or in any department and I know somebody, and I can say hello to them. Whereas in a big Trust, I don't think you always get that.”
Despite the setbacks, Natalie was part of the legacy cohort for the first 1,000 people in the country to do the nursing associate apprenticeship degree. "I applied for that and was successful. The Trust supported me because I hadn't got any qualifications from school, so they helped me with Maths, English, and everything else to make sure I could get into university. The Trust was absolutely amazing for that, and I completed my degree with a distinction," she shares.
She continues: “I wanted to become a fully qualified nurse. They introduced the top-up nursing degrees at East Cheshire. Unfortunately, I failed my first interview. It was during COVID and the interview was at home on Teams. It wasn't for me; I was really nervous. So I failed that, and I stayed in a nursing associate role for about five years.
“I got involved in a lot more things because I wanted to really progress and push myself. Then the opportunity came up again to apply for the top-up, and I was successful that time."
Natalie started as a Band 5, making a significant move from the MAU to ED, which had been her home for many years. "It was a big shock to everybody because that was my home, I'd been there forever. But I wanted something different. I thought, I've got a new role, I need a new challenge, a completely new challenge. So that's where I went. I spent just less than a year down in A&E, and then then I applied for the role of Junior Sister," she explains.
“I was very scared about going down to A&E because it was a big change. The patient care was still the same; it's still acute and with very sick patients. but they've really welcomed me into the team. We are a massive family. Everybody looks out for each other. It's really supportive, from senior consultants to the domestics", she shares.
Natalie also brings a unique approach to her role. "I like to bring humour into a bad situation. I'm a good judge of character, so even if you've got a really sick patient and the family is worried about them, I like to make it a little more jovial. Make it more of a happier time and ensure that they have a good experience.
“I do love working with end-of-life patients, making sure they understand what's going on, and ensuring that all their needs are met, not just the patients but the families as well. It's a scary place, so I like to make sure that all their needs are addressed," she explains.
“I am very ambitious, and I'm not one of these that kind of sits back and just goes with the flow. I've got this uniform on now and I'm not one to just wear the uniform. I need to be improving things, or you know quality improvements in the department. I want to change things, and I want to make things better.”
ENDS
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