Meet Danielle Kinsman, Senior Staff Nurse in Outpatients:

“When I left school, I went to college and studied business. This led me to work in the financial sector for several years.

“In my early 30s, decided I wanted to be a nurse, which was a complete career change. I went back to college, did my access course, and went to Swansea University in 2012; before graduating in 2015, when I was 37. 

“One minute I was working in a bank and the next, I was on a ward.

“My placements were the best bits for me, where patient interaction was key. I’ve always worked in a care environment. People care about their money and their health.

“When studying, I had a young child at home, a husband, a mortgage, and I had to work alongside my studies, it was a big balancing act.

“My son is now 17 and is an engineering student at Gower College Swansea. I always tell him to look out for any opportunities that come his way, I’m proud to have done just that in my career. 

“My first job after graduating was as a scrub nurse in Llanelli’s Prince Phillip Hospital, I then did the same in Morriston Hospital, before joining the Burns Unit. I dealt with a huge sense of diversity in a trauma-led ward, especially during Covid. 

“When I joined Sancta in September of 2021, I may not have been dealing with direct patient trauma daily, but I was still dealing with patient care.

“What I love most about Sancta is that I get to be involved in the full circle of care. From pre-assessment to taking out clips when patients have had a hip operation, as an example. That’s the best part about my career is seeing the full circle of care and making a real difference; helping them plan a life without care.

“For anyone considering a career in nursing, I would say to keep the patient’s wellbeing at the forefront of everything you do. Think about how you want to be treated and how you would want your family to be treated. No one comes to hospital because they want to, and it’s important that you play your part in making them feel as safe and as well looked after as possible. 

“You need to treat the whole of the person, not the hole in the person.”