Swapping the hospitality industry for a nursing assistant practitioner career

Starting something new: leaving bars and pubs behind

I’ve spent a huge part of my life working in the hospitality industry with nearly 20 of those years spent in management roles. When I was made redundant during the pandemic, I saw it as a great opportunity to try something different with my work. I moved back to Scotland and wondered if an old dog like me could really learn new tricks in a different sector.

My wife is a nurse, so I knew the NHS offered stability and a chance to help people in my local community. I wanted to step away from high-level management but still stay focused in a professional role that would keep me driven. I started by setting up mobile testing sites before securing a job as a healthcare support worker within the NHS.

How self-belief helped me progress my nursing career

I originally had no intentions of progressing further because I had left high levels of responsibility behind me in the bar trade. However, the more I worked on the ward, the more I wanted to learn so I could give more back to my patients. After talking with my manager, I completed the PDA in Acute and Community Care at SCQF level 8 to become a nursing assistant practitioner in mental health.

The best advice I ever received was to have self-belief and trust my instincts because life is full of risks that are worth taking. I learned that it’s okay to fail because that is how we grow and improve our skills in any line of work. Having confidence in what I can do makes my work much more enjoyable every single day I turn up for my shift.

A day in the life on the mental health ward

My role is varied and involves building therapeutic relationships with patients through regular one-to-one conversations to help them feel more at ease. I lead activities like art, board games, or even karaoke to help patients redirect their thoughts while they are recovering in the hospital. I also monitor physical health and work closely with my colleagues to maintain high standards of care for every person I help.

I always look at things from the patient’s point of view to see if I would be happy with the care I provide. Every day is unpredictable and challenges my skills in lots of ways while I help people who are having a tough time. I love the feeling of seeing a patient improve from the day they arrive until they are ready for their discharge from the hospital.

I use curiosity as my main skill because asking questions is the best way to keep developing my clinical knowledge and professional skills. Passing on knowledge to my peers and patients is a key part of my daily routine to help the team work well together. I feel lucky to work as part of such a great and supportive team of people who help me learn new skills.

Looking toward the future in NHS Scotland

I never imagined I’d have my face in a book again nearly 40 years after I left school with only my basic O-grades. Now, I’m training with the Open University to become a mental health nurse, which is a goal I never thought possible. This is an opportunity I never thought I’d have because I didn’t think I had the right education for a nursing career.

Everything I’ve experienced in life, good or bad, has helped me get to where I am now on my rewarding new career path. Helping a friend with distraction techniques I learned at work made me feel proud to be part of the NHS today. It shows that the skills we learn here can help people in their everyday lives far beyond the hospital ward or clinical setting.

My top 3 tips for your nursing assistant practitioner career

• Have self-belief—Trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to take risks in your professional life even if you are starting something brand new.
• Stay curious—Always ask questions about things you don’t know so you can keep developing your skills and your clinical knowledge every day.
• Focus on empathy—Always treat your patients the way you would want to be treated yourself if you were in their difficult situation.

Choosing to change careers was a big upheaval, but I have absolutely no regrets about joining the NHS in my new role. It’s honestly the best job in the world! I wish I had started decades ago because the sense of reward is very special.