Royal Preston Hospital celebrates three generations of nurses as NHS marks 72nd birthday

NHS bosses are celebrating these three generations of medics - known to each other not only as co-workers but also as grandma, mum and granddaughter - as they mark the Year of the Nurse and Midwife.

The Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust also took a moment to applaud all of its hard-working front line staff for the NHS' 72nd birthday on Sunday, July 5. Among those putting their lives on the line to fight against coronavirus are Noeleen Griggs, and her daughter and granddaughter Anneen and Amelia Carlisle.

Noeleen (66): said: "I am so proud that my daughter and granddaughter have followed my footsteps into the NHS, as it has always been and continues to be magnificent."

And it's easy to see why she is proud. Mum-of-four Anneen, for example, has helped to reach a landmark in patient safety at Royal Preston Hospital.

Training at the old school of nursing in Sharoe Green Lane at age 19, Anneen's passion has so far lasted nearly three decades and landed her a 25 years of service award.

Today, the 48-year-old manages 60 staff members on a new Surgical Assessment Unit (SAU) helping to make emergency operations safer and treating urinary and vascular conditions, such as the risk of limb loss due to infection.

The unit even won an award for best safety initiative last year after reducing waiting times by half on average and allowing 47% of patients to be discharged on the same day in its first 12 months.

Perhaps it's this determination to protect everyone under her wing - be it staff or patients - that has prepared Anneen for the gruelling and ever-changing challenges of life on the front lines of a pandemic.

She said: "We've had to be open-minded to make sure staff and patients are safe. One of the biggest things has been wearing PPE. It was a big concern in the early days because of the shortage, and it's tough wearing it at all times."

Worldwide, midwives and nurses are seen as the faces of humanity and compassion, no matter the challenges thrown their way, and this has perhaps been no more evident than during the coronavirus crisis.

That's because many have had the heartbreaking job of turning away relatives of Covid-19 patients, even if they are critically ill, from the hospital, and have instead found new ways to keep people connected with their loved ones.

"One of the saddest things during the pandemic is the limits to visitors," Anneen said.

"It plays on your heartstrings."

But her team now plans to use tablets to allow patients to see their family while in hospital. For those who don't survive, it could offer a final chance to share special moments with the ones they love the most.

"It's going to be so good for people," Anneen added.

"Seeing the face of a relative gives them reassurance and makes a big difference."

The pain of being separated from family is something that many medics, who work all hours or have had to temporarily leave their homes for risk of spreading the virus to their partners and children, know all too well. Anneen herself has only just been able to see her only grandchild.

So it takes a special kind of person to be a nurse - someone who is dedicated, pays attention to detail and has a tremendous ability to listen, according to Anneen. You also need a bucket load of resilience.

Luckily, she says her team shares both a friendship and a sense of humour that keeps them all strong, adding: "Sometimes it's really sad as we face difficult situations as nurses.

"But we learn to adapt to that and have lots of fun. Sometimes we have to laugh at our circumstances, as it helps to get you through hard times. We're like a family and get through it all together."

She has also just landed the role of staff governor, helping to protect front-line workers from trauma, a role that has never been more important, due to financial struggles, families being separated, and news headlines predicting that many medics could develop PTSD following the pandemic.

"It's so important to support NHS staff, now more than ever. It's unprecedented. There's a lot of help needed but also a lot available," she said.

Fortunately, the nurse, her mum and 23-year-old daughter, all say that having such a rewarding career is worth enduring any emotional pain. In fact, Anneen says she was inspired to follow her mum's footsteps because of the smile on her face as she headed to work.

Noeleen trained at what was formerly the Preston Royal Infirmary 50 years ago and cares for people with emergency brain and spine injuries.

She said: "I have always wanted to be a nurse, since I was at school. My sister and I went on a work experience trip to Wales to look after the elderly. This is when my inspiration was planted and my passion for a nursing career began."

Like her grandma, Amelia, who has been qualified for a year and helps to treat artery and vein problems, discovered her calling in childhood.

She said: "I have wanted to be a nurse since my mum gave me a first aid kit when I was eight. When my younger brothers used to fall over and hurt themselves, I used to like caring for them, cleaning their grazes and putting plasters on them.

"As a qualified nurse, I really enjoy helping patients' wounds heal, and all the effective and complex dressings that are available to promote the healing process."

Over the decades, Anneen has seen her profession transform, proven by the diversity of the three women's roles. Training was once more practical, adds the staff governor, who remembers emptying ashtrays and vases in the early days of her career.

Roles have since become more specialised, and she says nurses now enjoy more professional recognition and deal with more complex conditions as medication and treatments improve.

That's why she is encouraging trained nurses to attend the surgical division's recruitment day on Thursday, August 6, from 9am to 3pm.

"I have devoted so many years to nursing because I enjoy it. No two days are the same, and being surrounded by incredible, like-minded people that understand the daily highs and lows encountered makes it so worthwhile. Each day, I learn something new, whether that’s medical or from someone’s life experience," she said.

And to anyone thinking about joining the field, she added: "I would say that if you like variety, to meet truly caring and compassionate people, and to learn new things every day, [then] go for it."

To apply for the recruitment event, contact [email protected] before Thursday, July 30.