Nancy Bowden CO15

Nancy is among the amazing healthcare providers who have worked with such commitment throughout the pandemic. She plans to further develop her knowledge and expertise, aspiring to become a ‘Queen’s Nurse’ one day.

Nancy is among the amazing healthcare providers who have worked with such commitment throughout the pandemic, and who the Nation celebrated with the ‘clap for carers’ tribute during the first lockdown last year. Truro School’s community would like to add its thanks and appreciation for all her hard work and dedication with a little more about Nancy.

Nancy attended Truro School along with her brother, Jowan Bowden CO12, following in the footsteps of other family members; cousin, Tom Byrne CO05; aunt, Diane Rodda (née Withers) CO82 and uncle, Elliott Withers CO85.

Having thoroughly enjoyed her years at Truro School she recalls ‘attempting to join every sports team and musical band’ and feels that these team experiences helped her to develop her professional approach to people.

Career considerations started quite early for Nancy, who first though about midwifery and zoology, before deciding in 4th year that nursing was the right choice for her. Completing her first aid course at school increased her awareness of the possible scenarios she might encounter. After leaving Truro School in 2015, she completed an Adult Nursing degree at Edinburgh Napier University.

Throughout her nursing career Nancy has studied and worked across Edinburgh and the Borders as well as internationally, working on an elective Orthopaedic ward in Australia in 2018. She then worked in the Trauma and Orthopaedic unit and A&E at the Bristol Royal Infirmary before moving to Southmead Hospital (also in Bristol) working in the Burns and Plastics unit. “Southmead is a secondary burns unit, meaning they care for patients with less than 40 percent burns. The Plastics Unit specialises in breast reconstruction and a lot of plastic surgery following trauma.”

In June 2019, Nancy’s priorities changed with ill health in her family and she chose to return to Cornwall to be close to them again. She secured a job in the Trauma unit at Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske (RCHT) alongside fellow Old Truronian, Tom Harris CO15 who is a Radiographer. She also stays in touch with other friends from her time at Truro School: Sara Kidd CO16, Sophie Solomon CO15 and Emily Pender CO15.

Nancy aspires to become a Queen’s Nurse and progress through the ranks of nursing. (The Queen’s Nurse programme brings together community nurses to develop their professional skills and deliver outstanding patient care in the community. The title of Queen’s Nurse (QN) is available to individual nurses who have demonstrated a high level of commitment to patient care and nursing practice.) So, with a view to developing her knowledge and career further, she has often undertaken additional shifts in different departments to increase her experience.

Nancy’s plan is to return to University sometime soon to complete Midwifery training and then maybe return to Australia and/or Scotland as she enjoyed both places immensely – she is leaving her options open!

We asked Nancy for any advice for our ‘Aspiring Healthcare Professionals’ who may be considering a similar career path:

“My advice would be to take any experience you can find and talk to everyone. Learn about people and take an interest in their lives because you are looking after the whole person, not just their disease or diagnosis and there is a lot of joy to be found in that.”

Nancy continues to devote her time to the care of others, even in her spare time, and later this year she will be helping with a fundraiser for the Sunrise Centre. Opened in 2002, this is the oncology (cancer) centre covering the whole of Cornwall, and is based at Treliske Hospital. We wish Nancy and everyone else involved great success.