Publish date: 9 May 2025
Colleagues at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals are celebrating the hard work and dedication of all our nurses today. We are sharing stories of some of our nursing colleagues.
Maggie Oldham, Chief Executive at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, has more than 40 years' of experience working in healthcare, first joining the NHS is 1982 on a Youth Opportunities Programme at Booth Hall Children’s Hospital in Manchester.
Maggie has held various nursing roles before moving into management and wanted to take a moment this International Nurses Day to recognise her nursing colleagues:
“Firstly I want to say a big thank you to all our nurses that work across the Fylde coast and beyond in our acute hospitals and out in the community, each of you make a difference to our communities every day.
“I am inspired by the acts of kindness that take place across the Trust every day, and even under some of the most extreme pressures and challenges our nurses are passionate, rich in their diversity and committed to providing caring, safe and respectful care to our patients and their loved one and it does not go unnoticed.
“Please take a moment this celebration day to join me in thanking our wonderful nursing colleagues for all that they do.”
Below you can also find some feedback about our incredible nurses.
To celebrate International Nurses Day we spoke with five nurses at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals.
Read their stories here:
Usually scrubbed with a gown and gloves on, Phoebe can be found by the side of the surgeon and their team during operations. The role of a scrub nurse is to ensure there are the correct instruments, equipment and that everything is right for that procedure and patient.
Now qualified for three years, Phoebe started her nursing career as a dental nurse before choosing to retrain and specialise in theatres.
Phoebe commented, “I enjoy a lot of different aspects of this job but in particular it is being able to support a patient when they are at their most vulnerable, on a table unconscious. Although I can’t talk to them there is still a lot of care involved and when you are inside a persons body sometimes dealing with internal organs it is really important to get it right. I am so proud to be apart of that and changing that patients life.”
Phoebe explained that there is no typical day as a theatre scrub nurse, “I work in a variety of different specialties and it depends on what planned operations we have on, you might be all day in one surgery or have eight different cases. I started out in neurology, then in general and today I am in ENT (ears, nose and throat) and have experience in breasts and emergency theatres.”
There are many career opportunities for a scrub nurse and last year Phoebe completed a course that was in advanced perioperative care which has given her a specific theatre qualification.
Gemma started her career at Clifton as a healthcare assistant in 2009 and later got the opportunity to train as an assistant practitioner (AP) in dermatology. Having got the buzz for nursing she moved to Research and Development at Victoria Hospital, becoming the first AP in the department and went on to do her nurse training. After qualifying, she requested a more clinical placement and opted to work in the emergency department for six months. Gemma said “It was certainly an eye opener into my career, with the jump in responsibility from healthcare assistant to assistant practitioner to staff nurse."
After six months, she returned to Research and Development where she went on to get her Band 6 promotion. Gemma returned to Clifton Hospital in 2020 as the clinical nurse specialist where she has been here ever since. She feels that she’s been fortunate to have had received the funding that’s secured both her assistant practitioner and nurse training via secondment through the Trust. She’s has also completed a postgraduate certificate in skin lesion management as part of this role which were also funded by the Trust.
Having come full circle in her nursing career, Gemma works alongside many of her original colleagues who have continued to develop in their own career paths since Gemma first worked with them. Gemma says she has always loved dermatology and has been inspired by colleagues such as Jane Sanderson, whose journey began at Clifton at the same time as Gemma’s and who is now Lead Nurse of the department.
“I think nursing is a job that you get a lot of pride from, especially in a role where you are giving a cancer diagnosis. To be able to do that the right way, to see patients leaving the room knowing they feel supported and informed is my goal. It is always a positive when patients say 'Well actually, I didn't get good news today but I'm clear on what's going to happen next and I've got everything I need to be able to deal with that.'
"We’re quite lucky in that giving a skin cancer diagnosis, generally the prognosis is good, but I just think it's lovely to be in a career where ultimately, we are making people's difficult experiences better “.
The CSPS course will build on Jennifer’s skills as a community nurse which will mean she is able to prescribe, do more advance clinical examinations as well as support leadership, project management and research opportunities.
Starting in community in 2018, Jennifer commented, “I always knew I wanted to work in community and a placement as a student confirmed this for me. I loved the acute care in the hospital but found that community also has equally complex cases.
“As a community nurse I am keeping our patients where most of them want to be, that is at home in their own familiar surroundings where they are most comfortable. We know that for some people being at home is best and I am proud to be able to deliver that care for those that can be at home, whether that be through IV therapy or specialist care.
Before starting her nurse training Jennifer was a carer and with the support of her young family progressed into a nursing career she is passionate about. On International nurses day we want to thank all our nursing colleagues caring for patients outside of hospitals in clinics and peoples homes.
Inspired by her grandma, Nicole who enjoys the fast-paced environment, soon progressed to the role of sister and now helps supervise the department. Nicole commented: “My grandma was a Matron of Children’s nursing in Sheffield, and she is my inspiration, she is my idol.
“I used to see her come home in her nursing uniform and she was like a superhero. Now retired she lives in Spain and we speak all the time comparing our experiences and you realise how different nursing is now from when she was a nurse. She sometimes can’t quite believe how pressures things can be and is very proud of the nurses today for all we do.”
As well as the support from her grandma and partner who also works at the Trust, Nicole says she’s found her calling thanks to the close-knit team around her. “When you work in the pressures and challenges, we face on the front line you really need that support and we have that down here, we all look after each other.”
On International Nurses Day, Nicole wanted to share a message to the public that may need to access the emergency department, “I'd just say thank you to people who need to use our services for bearing with us, it is so pressured at the minute and patients are seeing such an increased wait time, however we are grateful for their understanding as it can be frustrating for them and us.
“If you are feeling unwell please keep our teams for emergencies and always consider if there is another specialist team who could help such as the amazing teams at GPs and urgent treatment centres.”
Masdy has been a professional nurse for over 12 years now, 4 of those years in Blackpool. He commented, “I decided to come to the UK, fulfill my dream to become a nurse. When I was younger, I wanted to be a pilot but I just love being with people and advocating for them when they are unwell, just caring for them and making a difference to their lives.
“I love the culture and the people and the diverse people in here in the UK. Previously I have also worked in Saudi Arabia which was very different to our emergency care here because of their culture and beliefs but in here it is like a family.”
Masdy is an active member in the Trusts cultural and diversity network supporting other international nursing colleagues, the Trust has over 70 different nationalities, “it is another family who love and support each other, I think it is amazing we are so diverse and accepting of each other.”
University of Central Lancashire celebrates International Nurses Day by sharing experiences of two Blackpool Victoria nurses as part of its #MenDoCare campaign
Male nurses may only make up 10% of the profession’s workforce in the UK, but one Blackpool family is bucking the trend with both father and son working as registered nurses for Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Peter and Connor McKiernan work at Blackpool Victoria Hospital as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) and Clinical Improvement Lead, respectively. After completing nursing degrees at the University of Central Lancashire within six years of each other, the duo initially worked side-by-side in the Vic’s emergency department before Connor moved into other roles within the hospital, first as a stroke specialist and then beginning his new role in October last year.
“When I first started at the Vic, I was the only male nurse in the emergency department” said 56-year-old Peter from Kirkham. “It was a big cultural change from my previous careers in car sales and the army. I’ve made some great friends over the years though and feel valued by a profession that’s allowed me to make considerable progress.”
As well as seeing his dad as a role model, Connor was inspired to work in healthcare after he stopped to help victims of a car crash on his way to a university interview, aged 18, for a place on an architecture degree. Having missed the interview and with his suit covered in blood, the now 29-year-old suddenly reconsidered his career choices and realised he wanted a job where he could help people.
“It was a moment that set me in a completely new direction and I started to look into potential healthcare professions” Connor said. “I decided on a career in nursing and have never looked back.”
Peter, who has recently completed bedside care ultrasound training and is currently undertaking a six-month trauma treatment course, still enjoys working in emergency care 15 years after entering the healthcare profession.
He said: “I feel proud of what I’ve achieved during this time. I’m grateful to Blackpool Trust for providing me with the opportunities to continue learning and I’m grateful to the University of Central Lancashire for helping me to get to this point in my career with three degree qualifications under my belt.”
Both Connor and Pete agree that positive male role models are key to inspiring young men to consider nursing as a viable career choice and support the University of Central Lancashire’s #MenDoCare campaign. The institution is working with local councils and NHS Trusts to highlight the important roles men play in health and care professions.
“Whatever level I’ve worked at, the ethos of helping and advocating for others is still the main reason I do this job” Peter said. “I like to think male nurses challenge the stereotype of what it means to be a strong man by showing the differences mental strength and resilience can make instead of focusing on physical strength.”
Connor, who lives in Lytham, said: “I’ve been to career events in schools and think it’s important to show boys that anyone can become a nurse and gender isn’t an issue. Showing that men make great nurses and other allied health professionals, whether that’s through events, campaign, on tv, or social media, is a great way of breaking down stereotypes.”
The University of Central Lancashire launched its #MenDoCare campaign on International Men’s Day in November 2024. Working with local partners, it encouraged social workers, nurses and other health care professionals to use the hashtag #MenDoCare on social media to share their thoughts on the benefits men bring to their professions, why there is a need to break down stereotypes and the personal benefits they gain from their roles.
“Every nurse brings different qualities to the profession. Patients come from all walks of life and so it’s important that the workforce that treats them reflects this” Peter added.
Feedback about our nurses
I just want to give Danielle, the nurse in Resus on Wednesday night, 4 December a massive thank you for taking care of my partner. You were absolutely amazing and made a really scary and difficult time, much easier by reassuring myself and our family. Thank you for being so understanding and caring. You are amazing at what you do and we truly believe without you, the outcome may not have been the one we wanted. Me, my partner, and our two daughters will be grateful to you for the rest of our lives! Thank you again, and to the rest of the staff who cared for him during his time in Resus.
My father is currently at the hospital following a heart attack earlier on this week. During his time in CCU and on the Cardiology ward he was supported by an incredible nurse named Mark Pescante. Throughout his time Mark has gone above and beyond for my dad, treating him (and us) with such kindness, compassion and dignity and I feel this should be recognised. The care he received was incredible and person-centred down to him asking us what his favourite music was that he played for him while he was in a coma. As a family we are greatly appreciative of all the fantastic care our dad has received while at the hospital, but feel Mark deserves a special mention.
I just wanted to say thank you for having me for the past six weeks. I can honestly say this placement has been the highlight of my nursing studies. All of you have been so welcoming and kind to me,. Besides providing outstanding, person-centred care I have also witnessed the amazing support you show each other. It was so refreshing to see! You are all amazing with individualised nursing approaches but the same main objective. Thank you once more.
