Access All: Disability News and Mental Health

‘I returned to nursing the day the pandemic was declared’


Listen Later

Hannah McDonald was sectioned before starting a nursing shift in 2008, with her uniform in her bag.

Diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, she believes she suppressed the grief she felt for three friends who died suddenly when she was a child.

It caught up with her years later when she was working as a nurse - she stopped sleeping, eating, started to self -harm, and had suicidal thoughts.

She spent nearly 10 years in acute mental health units and a therapeutic community. At times she felt she’d lost everything but Hannah always knew she wanted to return to nursing.

Twelve years on she has successfully returned to work as a hospice nurse. But no one could have predicted her first day would be the day the World Health Organisation declared Covid-19 a global pandemic.

It’s not just caring that Hannah has a talent for, as a keen embroiderer she also got a call-up to work on the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress. But when she revealed to a nurse what she’d been doing, they presumed she was delusional!

Hannah speaks openly about the past 12 years and as such topics such as self-harm and suicide arise.

Presented by Beth Rose.

Subscribe on BBC Sounds or say “Ask the BBC for Ouch” to your smart speaker.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Access All: Disability News and Mental HealthBy BBC Sounds

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

68 ratings


More shows like Access All: Disability News and Mental Health

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,411 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,835 Listeners

File on 4 Investigates by BBC Radio 4

File on 4 Investigates

36 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,744 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,769 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,081 Listeners

Inside Health by BBC Radio 4

Inside Health

98 Listeners

Money Box by BBC Radio 4

Money Box

44 Listeners

The Law Show by BBC Radio 4

The Law Show

23 Listeners

More or Less: Behind the Stats by BBC Radio 4

More or Less: Behind the Stats

896 Listeners

The Media Show by BBC Radio 4

The Media Show

32 Listeners

World Business Report by BBC World Service

World Business Report

292 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,950 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,053 Listeners

The Audio Long Read by The Guardian

The Audio Long Read

820 Listeners

Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast by Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast

Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast

302 Listeners

Newscast by BBC News

Newscast

685 Listeners

Ways to Change the World with Krishnan Guru-Murthy by Channel 4 News

Ways to Change the World with Krishnan Guru-Murthy

64 Listeners

Sliced Bread by BBC Radio 4

Sliced Bread

151 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

757 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

2,996 Listeners

Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government by Institute for Government

Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

25 Listeners

The News Agents by Global

The News Agents

993 Listeners

The Rest Is Entertainment by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Entertainment

801 Listeners

Strong Message Here by BBC Radio 4

Strong Message Here

28 Listeners