Navigating Nursing

In this episode Laura meets with Sergeant Laila Wallace who is a Nurse recruiter for the RAF and is a Registered Adult Nurse. She shares what made her apply to be a nurse and what led her to applying to join the RAF after qualifying. She discusses the transition from working in a Medical Admission Unit to being in the RAF and working as a Quality Improvement Sepsis nurse. She talks about the opportunities available within the military and how the opportunities she has had have shaped her career. Laila has also worked as part of the Deployable Aeromedical Response Team Sqn at Tactical Medical Wing and has also worked as part of the Aeromedical Evacuation Sqn in 2020, tasked with delivering global Aeromedical Evacuation. She shares her experiences and discusses how pre-hospital care courses has shaped her as a nurse. Laila has worked in various leadership positions and she shares how she adapted to these roles. During the pandemic Laila was deployed to co-ordinate and run a vaccination programme in partnership with the Southeast NHS hub in support of Military Assistance to Civilian Authority. She discusses the importance of saying yes to all opportunities when they present themselves and talks about her role as Nurse recruiter for the RAF. Laila gives advice anyone interested in joining the military. Laila shares her career aims and goals for the future.

For further information please follow:

X = @DMS_MilMed

Linkedin = Defence Medical Services

Insta = @StrategicCommand

UK armed forces

You can browse regular and reservist roles here:

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps

Princess Mary’s RAF Nursing Service

Civil Service

The MOD employs civilians in clinical and other relevant business and technical roles:

Civil Service Jobs

Flexible Resource Pool (Bank)

Lieutenant Emily Williams is a Hospital Officer on the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ARGUS. Emily shares her reasons for applying for her nurse training and why she decided to join the Royal Navy. She discusses her time deployed to Norway and her experiences during this deployment. During the pandemic Emily was deployed as part of the Covid rapid response transfer team during the pandemic and she talks about how this sparked her interest in critical care. Emily discusses how she has completed post graduate training and modules in critical care, she shares advice for anyone considering this speciality. Emily gives advice for anyone interested in applying to the military and the Royal Navy. She shares her plans and career aims for the future.

For further information please follow:

X = @DMS_MilMed

Linkedin = Defence Medical Services

Insta = @StrategicCommand

UK armed forces

You can browse regular and reservist roles here:

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps

Princess Mary’s RAF Nursing Service

Civil Service

The MOD employs civilians in clinical and other relevant business and technical roles:

Civil Service Jobs

Flexible Resource Pool (Bank)

In this episode Laura meets with Sgt Jayne Lum Kin who is an Emergency Department Nurse and an RAF Reservist. Jayne talks about how travelling to Africa led her to decide to train to be a nurse. She has worked in the ED throughout her career, and she shares how she decided this speciality interested her. Jayne joined the RAF as a reservist when she was 50, and she talks about what led her to apply at this stage in her career. Jayne discusses her time in the RAF and gives advice for anyone also interested in joining the RAF. She shares her passion for travel and adventure and how developing as a Flight Nurse has been a fantastic experience. She shares advice for anyone interested in joining the RAF and for anyone who is interested in ED nursing. Jayne shares how she has worked as a contract nurse in Kabul and how she has worked within elite sports and at sporting events. Jayne talks about her career aims and goals for the future.

For further information please follow:

X = @DMS_MilMed

Linkedin = Defence Medical Services

Insta = @StrategicCommand

UK armed forces

You can browse regular and reservist roles here:

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps

Princess Mary’s RAF Nursing Service

Civil Service

The MOD employs civilians in clinical and other relevant business and technical roles:

Civil Service Jobs

Flexible Resource Pool (Bank)

In this episode Laura meets with Captain Stephen Worsley who is a Deputy senior nursing officer at Defence Primary Healthcare in the Army.

Stephen discusses why he decided to train as a nurse and the reason he chose Primary health care as a speciality. Stephen gives advice to anyone interested in Primary Health care and he discusses his experience studying for a Post graduate certificate in Unscheduled Primary Health care. He talks about how he joined the army and gives any advice for anyone interested in joining the military. He discusses the opportunities he has had whilst being the in the Army and how the Army has enabled him to develop outside of Nursing, including becoming a Physical Training Instructor. Stephen has just completed the Negotiated Learning module in order to top up to BSc Hons Nursing practice development and gives advice for anyone wishing to complete any post graduate study. Stephen is currently a deputy senior nursing officer and he talks about his role. Stephen shares advice for anyone who is a student nurse or a newly qualified nurse. He shares his career goals and aims for the future.

For further information please follow:

X = @DMS_MilMed

Linkedin = Defence Medical Services

Insta = @StrategicCommand

UK armed forces

You can browse regular and reservist roles here:

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps

Princess Mary’s RAF Nursing Service

Civil Service

The MOD employs civilians in clinical and other relevant business and technical roles:

Civil Service Jobs

Flexible Resource Pool (Bank)

Katy discusses how she joined the army reserves and her motivations for joining the army full time. Katy has worked in Intensive Care since qualifying and provides advice for anyone interested in working in this speciality. She talks about her motivations for joining the army reserves and why she decided to join the army full time. Katy has completed post graduate qualifications in Intensive care nursing and provides advice for anyone wishing to study at level 7. Katy shares what her current role as Practice development officer and how she enjoys supporting and developing other nurses. Katy discusses her career aims and goals for the future.

For further information please follow:

X = @DMS_MilMed

Linkedin = Defence Medical Services

Insta = @StrategicCommand

UK armed forces

You can browse regular and reservist roles here:

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps

Princess Mary’s RAF Nursing Service

Civil Service

The MOD employs civilians in clinical and other relevant business and technical roles:

Civil Service Jobs

Flexible Resource Pool (Bank)

Sgt Emmanuel Ebrada is a Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner in the NHS and Critical Care nurse in the Army reserves. Manny shares his journey to studying to be a nurse and how this was driven by his passion for travel. Manny shares how he worked in the Philippines, Singapore and then moved to the United Kingdom. He discusses his career in Intensive care and why he was drawn to working in this speciality.

Manny is a Critical Care nurse in the Army Reserves and he gives advice for anyone interested in joining the military. He talks about the support he has received from the Army in terms of his educational development, and how completing further postgraduate study has shaped his career. He shares the opportunities the Army has provided him, including travel and taking part in triathlons. Manny provides advice for anyone wishing to study at level 7 as he is currently completing a MSc alongside working full time in the NHS and being in the Army reserves. Manny shares his career aims for the future.

For further information please follow:

X = @DMS_MilMed

Linkedin = Defence Medical Services

Insta = @StrategicCommand

UK armed forces

You can browse regular and reservist roles here:

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps

Princess Mary’s RAF Nursing Service

Civil Service

The MOD employs civilians in clinical and other relevant business and technical roles:

Civil Service Jobs

Flexible Resource Pool (Bank)

In this episode Laura meets with SSgt Gordie Mackenzie, who is a Registered adult nurse, Primary health care nurse, and part of the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps.

Gordie discusses how he qualified from Robert Gordon university in 2012 and his journey as a newly qualified nurse. He gives advice for anyone interested in joining the Army, and discusses his motivations for joining. Gordie talks about the reason he started working in Primary Health Care, and provides advice for anyone interested in changing speciality from secondary to primary care. Gordie shares his own journey through preceptorship and how when provided with the correct support all nurses can thrive. Gordie talks about his journey through post graduate speciality training and gives advice for anyone wishing to complete any further continual professional development. Gordie shares his experiences whilst on deployment and his career goals for the future.

For further information please follow:

X = @DMS_MilMed

Linkedin = Defence Medical Services

Insta = @StrategicCommand

UK armed forces

You can browse regular and reservist roles here:

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps

Princess Mary’s RAF Nursing Service

Civil Service

The MOD employs civilians in clinical and other relevant business and technical roles:

Civil Service Jobs

Flexible Resource Pool (Bank)

In this episode Lt Colonel Mohammed Fertout discusses his career in the army, where he was a combat medic for 11 years prior to starting his Mental Health Nursing training. Mo worked at an inpatient unit on qualifying and talks about his transition to working in the community and the need for the appropriate support for nurses making this transition. Mo went on to complete the Regular Commissions Board to become an Army Nursing Officer completing Professional Qualified Officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He then worked as a nursing officer in Cyprus and was also deployed to Iraq twice during a very tough period.

Mo has also worked as a Lecturer and Research Fellow and was seconded to the Kings College Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) London. He discusses how he contributed and published research focused on post deployment mental health problems. He also completed a MSc in War and psychiatry, and how this enabled him to explore the roles nurses play in population and public Mental health and witness the impact of conflict and violence on populations as much as individuals.

Mo discusses the need to be open minded to opportunities and how his career has been impacted by advice and recommendations from colleagues. He talks about how he then took up a role focusing on health improvement and how this enabled him to develop his knowledge and experience about the links between physical and mental health. During the Covid-19 pandemic Mo was responsible for coordinating some of the Defence response to supporting the NHS but still ensuring enough clinical workforce remained to support Defence operations held at readiness or deployed around the globe.

Mo shares how he is on the Defence medical leadership programme in partnership with Cumbria university and gives advice to anyone wishing to complete any further study. He gives advice for people interested in joining the military and for student nurses. The episode ends with Mo sharing his plans for the future and his career aims.

For further information please follow:

X = @DMS_MilMed

Linkedin = Defence Medical Services

Insta = @StrategicCommand

UK armed forces

You can browse regular and reservist roles here:

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps

Princess Mary’s RAF Nursing Service

Civil Service

The MOD employs civilians in clinical and other relevant business and technical roles:

Civil Service Jobs

Flexible Resource Pool (Bank)

In this episode Laura speaks with Company Sergeant Major Cally Brunton. Cally is the Company Sergeant Major for Ypres Company at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Cally originally joined the army as a health care assistant and discusses her journey to becoming a registered nurse. She provides advise for anyone interested in joining the army and wishing to study to become a nurse.

She talks about her new role at Sandhurst and how she juggles her desire to remain clinically up to date as a Primary Health Care nurse. Cally has recently completed her non- medical prescribing course and gives advise for anyone interested in this qualification. She also shares her career aims and hopes for the future.

For further information please follow:

X = @DMS_MilMed

Linkedin = Defence Medical Services

Insta = @StrategicCommand

UK armed forces

You can browse regular and reservist roles here:

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps

Princess Mary’s RAF Nursing Service

Civil Service

The MOD employs civilians in clinical and other relevant business and technical roles:

Civil Service Jobs

Flexible Resource Pool (Bank)

In this episode Laura meets with Suzanne Turner who is the Regional Nurse Advisor for Defence Primary Health Care Scotland & Northern Ireland.

Suzanne shares how she trained as a nurse at Anglia Ruskin University after a career as a civil servant with the Ministry of Defence. Suzanne discusses how she worked in the community as a newly qualified nurse, and provides for advice for anyone who also is interested working in this speciality. Suzanne then moved on to a Clinical Team Lead post and shares advice for anyone hesitant to apply for a leadership position. Suzanne talks about how missed working with the military and applied and was successful in getting the Specialist Practice Nurse role at Fort George in Scotland. Suzanne is currently studying for a MSc for Advanced Professional Practice and gives advice for anyone wishing to study at level 7. Suzanne is also a Professional Nurse Advocate and she shares the impact that this training and role has had on her practice. Suzanne discusses her current role as Regional Nurse Advisor for Defence Primary Health Care Scotland & Northern Ireland and how she is enjoying the challenges and opportunities this role presents. Suzanne also shares advice for students, newly qualified nurses or anyone interested in working as a civilian within defence nursing.

For further information please follow:

X = @DMS_MilMed

Linkedin = Defence Medical Services

Insta = @StrategicCommand

UK armed forces

You can browse regular and reservist roles here:

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps

Princess Mary’s RAF Nursing Service

Civil Service

The MOD employs civilians in clinical and other relevant business and technical roles:

Civil Service Jobs

Flexible Resource Pool (Bank)