In celebration of International Nurses Day, we sat down with Val, a resident at Grove Place for nearly ten years, to discuss her pioneering career in mental health nursing and how those decades of service shaped her life today.
Interviewer: Val, you’ve had an incredible career. What first led you into nursing back in 1971?
Val: It was actually a bit of an accident – where a school friend suggested I join her in London for nursing. My parents were disappointed I was moving 400 miles away, but I applied in October and started on the 2nd of January 1971.
My training was in Psychiatry in a hospital in Surrey. I’d never been in a mental hospital before, but I immediately felt comfortable. I love being with people and communicating. In those days, we were taught “tender, loving care” – everything from clinical skills to doing a patient’s hair and nails. It wasn’t a “vocation” I dreamed of as a child; I simply fell into it, loved it, and never looked back.
Interviewer: You witnessed a great deal of change in the profession. What were some of your personal highlights?
Val: I always appeared to be at the forefront of new developments, from the inception of group home, I became the first community psychiatric nurse that was jointly funded between Health and Social Services.
Furthering my career I developed my skills in acute care which has a special Mother and Baby unit attached.
My first management role was when I specialised in Dementia Care – always striving to give patients a more dignified life than they had in the old institutions.
Having moved to Hampshire, I was headhunted to develop a secure unit in Forensic Psychology for the Wessex Region. I was the only woman in the country to hold that position. Eventually becoming the Director of Nursing for Mental Services in Southampton and South West Hampshire and finishing my career as the General Manager.
Interviewer: Looking at nursing today, what do you feel has changed, and what remains timeless?
Val: I was actually part of the political push for nurses to have degrees. However, I’m a little disappointed with how that evolved. We sent nurses to university, but sometimes the practical, “hands-on” side of care was lost. We were taught how to truly look after someone as well as the clinical side. To me, the most fulfilling part was always the feedback – seeing a patient move from a state of illness to living an independent life.
Interviewer: You’ve been at Grove Place for ten years now. How has your nursing background influenced your life here?
Val: I suppose I brought those skills with me! I believe I can recognise and understand when someone needs a bit of extra support and bring them into community living. Whether it’s starting the “Friendship Table” to get residents talking or revitalising the “Ladies who Lunch,” it’s all about communication.
My husband Mike and I moved here because we wanted a lifestyle where we could be independent but secure. We spent our winters in America, so being near the airport and port was fabulous. Coming up the drive at Grove Place for the first time, knowing its history, it felt like going back to my roots.
Interviewer: You are famously busy at the village with the “Crafty Ladies” and theme nights. What is your advice to others considering a move?
Val: Don’t leave it too late! I moved here in my 60s, and it has enriched my retirement immensely. A community only works if people communicate and give a bit of themselves. I’ve made it my point to get to know nearly every resident. I can grow old gracefully here, knowing the care is there if I need it, but enjoying every facility while I’m active.
This International Nurses Day, we salute Val and all our residents and staff with a nursing background. Your legacy of care continues to make LifeCare Residences a truly special place to live.
To discover more about Grove Place Retirement Village in Hampshire, head to our webpage here.
