My entry into Occupational Health can only be described as the culmination of a perfect storm propelled by timing, circumstance, and friendship. As a military spouse and mum of three boys, I reluctantly let my NMC registration slide as we moved between foreign postings. Summer 2022 saw the start of our Norwegian adventure and, for me, the realisation that I wanted to go back into nursing.
However, rather than returning to my critical care background, my interest over the years had shifted much more towards a health and wellness perspective. It was at this time that I met another military spouse, an Occupational Health Consultant looking to work remotely in Norway. It was her passion for Occupational Health and our shared interest in lifestyle medicine that set the tone for our daily dog walks. She inspired me to believe that there was a nursing career beyond the wards and crucially one that both interested me and that I felt I could add value to.
My other inspiration was my middle son, who had been diagnosed with special education needs in Year One and had struggled in mainstream education until Year Nine. The move to a specialist school was transformational for him. The school met his needs, made accommodations, and ultimately built upon his successes. It was a masterclass in how to enable people to be the best, most productive versions of themselves, and it runs parallel to how I see Occupational Health.
Finally, after 14 years as a dependant, I was allowed to work for the Ministry of Defence in Norway as a community liaison officer, a job created to help military spouses get back into the workforce. It was a ‘warm hug’ of a job and just what I needed to build my confidence, improve my IT skills and realise how much I still had to offer the world of work.
My journey into Occupational Health has been 2 years in the making, fuelled by meticulous planning and research. I organised my Return to Practice course to correspond with our move back to the UK; however, prior to starting my course, I enrolled in a Diploma in Occupational Health Practice course. My reasoning behind this was twofold, primarily I was desperate for more knowledge, and I felt that any knowledge I could gather would help me get the most out of my placement but also, I was acutely aware that my journey into Occupational Health was slightly unconventional and that I needed to give myself the best chance of success. In hindsight, the course was a terrifying introduction to Occupational Health, especially as I had no real understanding of the breadth of Occupational Health, nor had I any recent nursing experience. Having said that, it gave me a great basis to work from and numerous contacts with other Occupational Health Practitioners who shared information about various organisations and groups.
As part of the Return to Practice course, I had to organise my practice placement, and I was lucky enough to be welcomed into a large NHS Occupational Health Department that also provided services for external clients. For me, the experience was exactly what I needed to give me a great overview of Occupational Health. The department was incredibly supportive and made sure that I was able to take advantage of every learning opportunity, from managing my own caseload of New Starter Assessments to vaccination clinics and external visits.  I loved how ‘giving’ the department was, giving of time and giving of knowledge. It cemented my interest in Occupational Health but also made me realise that I had a lot to learn and would need to secure a trainee position if I were to progress in this direction.
Through the contacts I had made and the ability to access a huge amount of information online, I was able to narrow down companies that offered Occupational Health Advisor training programmes, and I have been lucky enough to have had three interviews recently. I am excited at the prospect of taking my next steps along this Occupational Health journey, so watch this space!
