Gemma Sharples
“It is one of the most rewarding things you will ever do.”
Read about Gemma’s experience as a mental health nurse to discover what it’s really like.
Name: Gemma Sharples
Job Title: Service Manager
Organisation: Tuning Point
Qualifying in 2010, Gemma began as a mental health support worker in rehabilitation and is now working as a Service Manager at the third sector organisation Turning Point.
Gemma Sharples
Service Manager, Turning Point
What made you want to become a Mental Health Nurse?
From an early age I knew I wanted to be a nurse – around the age of 9 I informed all my family that I would be a nurse when I grew up. Even at an early age I knew I wanted to work with people.
When finishing college, I saw an advert for a mental health support worker role in rehabilitation. I was 18 with only retail experience but having completed health and social care in college but not making the grades for university it felt like the right job to be applying for.
Successful in the role I spent 4 years working in this role. This is where I developed a love for working in health and social care in particular those affected by severe and enduring mental health needs. I gained pure job satisfaction from supporting people in a recovery focused way that I knew I wanted to do Mental Health nursing.
Not having the required entry level qualifications, I spent time at night school achieving maths and English.
I was offered a place at Salford University I received the offer letter the same week I lost my father to cancer aged 21. I qualified in 2010.
Have you overcome any challenges along the way?
If so, are you happy to tell us more about them? One of my earliest challenges at the beginning of my career (6 months after qualifying) was becoming a mum while returning to work after my daughter was 10 weeks old. Juggling being a mum and working as a nurse was hard, but I was determined to remain working in the role I loved.
The biggest challenge for me during my career has been working as a nurse and managing a service during COVID-19. This period was a blur of sickness management, risk management, constant changes in government guidance and as a service we had to consistently change to adhere to. Working in the third sector it was extremely challenging to get tests for the service, managing stocks of PPE sometimes lack of it and other times the wrong spec of masks would be delivered. There was continual worry about patients being unwell, staff being unwell and managing a number of breakouts during COVID-19.
What advice would you give to others considering a career in Mental Health Nursing?
It is one of the most rewarding things you will ever do.Embrace the lows and learn from them and enjoy the highs this career path has its ups and its downs but I can guarantee you nothing will feel more rewarding than a career in nursing.
Where and when did you start your nursing journey?
I was 21 in 2007 and it was my third application to the University of Salford. I started my nursing in September 2007 and qualified in summer 2010.
How would you explain your role to someone who doesn’t know anything about it?
Like a roller coaster train with pit stops along the way:Managing a team of people with the same visions and values as yourself - delivering the absolutely best experience, care and support in rehab we can possibly ever do. My aim in my role is to manage this team of people to support the people we support to build up or on skills to enable them to live a more independent life.
What is the best thing about your job?
Being able to have a positive impact on the patient’s life, coming into work every day thinking how I can make a difference to the people we support today.
Seeing people move on from our service having gained valuable skills, rebuilt skills they may have lost, grown in confidence and achieving in meeting their goals. I know we have done our job well when we don’t see the same patients come back through the service. Working for Turning Point who are a third sector organisation and having the flexibility and being able to grow in my role as a nurse, being given the opportunities I have been given while working for Turning Point.
Next steps / Where do you want to go next in your career?
I currently don’t have any next steps I am happy where I am at present do the role I love.