29 July 2020

A desire to make a difference in people’s lives, and an inspirational figure in her grandmother led Leticia Sainty to a career in nursing.

Growing up, Leticia would hear many nursing tales from her now late grandmother’s time as a nurse. It was her becoming unwell that became the catalyst for Leticia to pursue the nursing path.

“It wasn’t until my Nan became unwell, I realised that my thoughts I had when I was younger to become a nurse were back. This time I wanted to help others (like my Nan) who were vulnerable and needed support.” 

Today, Leticia works as a Clinical Nurse Specialist for our Integrated Community Support Team (ICST) based in Milton Keynes. She started in the south of England, where she worked as a nurse on a cardiac ward at Plymouth Derriford Hospital.

A desire to seek out new challenges brought Leticia to Bedford, where she found the “perfect job” as a Community Matron, after previously progressing to Senior Staff Nurse at the Coronary Care Unit at Milton Keynes University Hospital.

Leticia’s desire to do better and be better took her back to Milton Keynes as Lead Matron at our Telehealth Team, whilst simultaneously working on developing her leadership skills.

“What drives me in my day-to-day work is to make a difference and challenge myself. Nursing has given me the confidence that keeps me motivated” says Leticia.

And most-recently the perfect opportunity to fulfil those desires came when she was asked to scope out a new service that would be focused on bringing health and social care together to patients who have multiple and complex issues.

“I felt privileged that I had been asked, although the unknown brought new challenges. All my skills I had gained throughout my nursing career were needed in this.”

CNWL successful launched  the new service and Leticia is “very much enjoying” her job and “working with different health and social care professionals, developing leadership skills, working with GPs, primary care staff, as well as the voluntary sector to offer a complete holistic service to the patients.”

Looking back on her career, Leticia would not change anything. She has achieved something that is arguably the epitome for anyone in their career, “fulfilment”.

Leticia would definitely recommend nursing to anyone. She says:

“(Nursing is a) career that offers so much versatility, flexibility, and learning opportunities in whatever (specialism of) nursing you have a desire to follow. You could do nursing anywhere in the world!!! Every day is different and it is an exciting profession that makes a difference to patients.”

Leticia was inspired by her grandmother’s stories, and now she hopes her own story can inspire others.