What was the first record you ever bought? Erasure – Victim of Love.
Who or what inspires you? Our cancer patients and how they accept and cope with their diagnosis and prognosis with dignity, and how they fight it with grit and determination.
Which three people, living or dead, would you invite to a dinner party and why? Mother Teresa – as a child growing up in Ireland I was always inspired by her humanitarian efforts.
Chris Martin – I have seen Coldplay live three times and would love to meet him, again to discuss the phenomenal charity and Oxfam work that he does.
Nelson Mandela for the impact he has had on us worldwide in his efforts and beliefs.
Who had the greatest influence on your career? Two people really – My first ward manager Maggie Harold in Bury St Edmunds, and Jocelyn Fitzgerald our colorectal nurse specialist at Lincoln County Hospital. Both of these women are inspirational nurses and very effective and fair managers. They are compassionate and extremely competent and they have both inspired many nurses in their time, including me.
What was the last thing that made you smile? An email I received from a patient’s mother, it made me smile and cry.He was only 18 when I met him and he was diagnosed with head and neck cancer. He died last year on his 21st birthday. She wrote to me this week to say thank you because she saw my name on the staff board on Waddington unit.
Where is your favourite place in the world? The Karlstal valley in Kaiserslautern in Germany.
What’s your favourite book? The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon.
If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you take with you? Music, books to read and my family/ friends to chat to.
How would you like to be remembered? That I had a positive impact on the care of our patients in a meaningful way and that I have made a difference in my clinical areas of work in my 20+ years at ULHT.