Page 42 - QARANC Vol 20 No 2 2022

42 The Gazette QARANC Association
What makes a nurse?
Corporal Hannah Gray is a staff nurse on a cardiac paediatric intensive care unit. She interviews colleagues for her podcast ‘What Makes a Nurse?’ and recently spoke to Ronan, who works within the RAF as a nursing officer.
Hannah: I’m excited to introduce you to Ronan. He is a resuscitation officer in a major hospital in Central London. He holds the rank of Flight Lieutenant in the RAF reserve. He has nursed on board the warship Tenacious for two years before beginning his career as an ICU nurse for five years. In his spare time, he works at festivals as a stage nurse which he enjoys immensely. Ronan, why did you want to be a nurse?
Ronan: I wanted to be a nurse from a very young age. I was knocked down by a car and I was in hospital
for quite some time. As a result, I got a bit of insight into what nurses do. And they were very good to me, and I always then aspired to be a healthcare professional of some sort. And I ended up becoming a nurse.
Hannah: Do you remember what it was like going from a student nurse to a newly qualified nurse? How did you feel and what was your experience like?
Ronan: I remember the responsibility of having to delegate to people that were much older than me. I found it quite intimidating, but it was something
that I embraced and the people that I delegated to were always very helpful, I think it was more of a mental block than reality. They’re often twice my age, with vast amounts of life experience and I’m asking them to go and change a commode.
Hannah: What is your current job role?
Ronan: I’m currently a resuscitation officer in King’s College Hospital in London, a relatively new role. I’ve been a resus officer for about five years, but this is just a step up. We train all health