‘I became a nurse at 56’
Recent events have made us all appreciate the NHS but, here, Kate Horne explains why changing careers in her 50s was the best decision she ever made
Kate Home’s career change has given her new purpose
Seeing how many ambulances are in the car park when I arrive for work gives me the first clue as to how busy my shift is going to be. You never know who is going to come through the door – but I thrive on that pressure. Being able to help people when they need it most keeps me going on my long shifts.
It’s a different world to my previous job running a business-coaching company. Prior to that, I’d worked with Oxfam on humanitarian projects in Africa. Then, in 2015, aged 53, I went to hospital for a hysterectomy. While there, I was struck by the sense of purpose. It reminded me of the TV programme ER that I’d loved, and I began to wonder if I could be a nurse, too.
Living on my own, I make a lot of decisions by myself so, once I’d recovered, I applied to Brighton University to do a nursing degree. I had to do some sums to be sure I could afford it and I still worried whether I was doing the right thing.
But starting on the three-year course, I loved the placements; observing the skill of open-heart surgery on one day and the expertise of ambulance crews on another. My final placement in A&E confirmed that it was there I wanted to be. I applied to Worthing Hospital, Sussex, and initially it was hard. The 12-and-a-half hour shifts were exhausting and then, just as I’d found my feet, Covid hit. We had patients who came in assuming we’d be able to make them better, but who were already too sick or had underlying conditions that meant we could do little for them. Sitting with them, hearing about their lives, was so sad but a real privilege. We were all at risk and some colleagues did fall ill, but we also really came together as a team.
I love my job as a staff nurse in A&E but it’s the human stories, rather than the medical emergencies, I think about. There was one lady in her 90s who was rushed in by her GP with suspected heart problems – by talking to her, I found out her racing heart was actually due to anxiety caused by loneliness. She was admitted and colleagues managed to arrange the help she needed.
I may have had a drop in income but I’m proud of what I do now, as are my parents and my friends. My walking group recently ordered takeaway pizza for my team on a busy Friday-night shift. That sort of kindness makes me feel so appreciated and helps on the tougher night shifts when we can be dealing with noisy drunks or aggressive patients. If I was younger, I might be shocked, but having life-experience helps.
Nursing is more than just a job. To me, it’s an honour to be able to give people help when they’re most in need of it.
‘It’s the human stories that stay with me’