60 Seconds With…. Paul Jebb

RCNi’s new national nursing event, Nursing Live, is being developed in partnership with an advisory board made up of nurses, clinical experts, and other healthcare practitioners, from a wide variety of backgrounds.

We caught up with advisory board member Paul Jebb, Associate Chief Nurse at Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, and asked him about his career, his views on the profession, and why he’s supporting Nursing Live.

How and why did you become a nurse?

My father had a road traffic accident and was in hospital for quite a while, and I got to see first hand the amazing work nurses do. The support and care he and my family received during his recovery also opened my eyes to the incredible impact which community nursing teams have.

What inspires you most about nurses and the nursing profession?

The sheer variety of challenges which all nurses face on a daily basis to make sure people get the care they need and deserve. Plus the tenacity nurses demonstrate, delivering the best job they possibly can under all types of circumstances.

What is the biggest challenge nurses are facing?

In my view, recruitment and retention is by far the biggest challenge. Promoting and communicating how rewarding the work that nurses and support teams undertake is something we can all help with, but we also need to be open and honest about why people don’t choose to start or stay in our profession.

What advances are you most excited about in the future?

There’s so much happening, but I’m especially excited about how advanced practice and the continuing education and the development of skills continually enhances what we do.

What do you wish that people understood better about nursing?

The true breadth and depth of nursing, and the impact nurses have on people, communities and our wider society. I also think nurses deserve far more respect for the training and education they have undertaken to get to where they are, and how they consistently apply this to the care they give.

Do you have a message for nurses?

Be proud of the difference you make to people’s lives day in, day out.

What are your reasons for wanting to be involved with Nursing Live?

Nursing Live offers the whole profession a fantastic opportunity to come together and showcase the very best of nursing in a dynamic, collaborative and face-to-face environment.