Reflections on a 50-Year Career in Nursing
22 July 2025 | Joy Naylor QN
Queen’s Nurse Joy Naylor reflects on her 50-year career in nursing on receiving her NHS Long Service badge.
Training and Early Career
I began my nursing career in 1975 aged 16 years when I became a pre nursing student or cadet as we were often called.
This was a course that bridged the gap between leaving school and commencing student nurse training at 18 years of age.
I undertook various placements on wards and departments whilst also attending college to continue my education and obtained two A levels during this time.
This period in my life gave a good insight into how Nurse training was structured and gave me some valuable experience of my future career pathway and a wealth of life experience.
My student Nurse training began in 1977, and I qualified as RGN in Adult Nursing in 1980. I worked in various placements in secondary care until 1990 when I decided to relocate to a primary care setting as a Practice Nurse in a GP surgery.
General Practice Nursing and Beyond
The advent of the government white paper at this time gave GPs the opportunity to become fundholders managing their own budgets. It was an exciting time for general practice and the numbers of practice nurses at this time increased to meet demand. The role of the practice nurse, once seen as ‘the Cinderella of nursing’, came more to the forefront and many career opportunities stemmed from this innovative time.
In 2005, I decided to study to become an independent and supplementary non-medical prescriber/Nurse Practitioner to allow me more autonomy in my role and increased job satisfaction through the delivery of patient-centred holistic nursing care.
In 2011, I became a Queen’s Nurse which opened up a new world of networking support and contact with like-minded nurses to collectively influence and shape the present and future of nursing responding to the challenges of nursing in the 21st century.
In 2017, I returned to university to undertake a programme of nursing modules to allow me to work as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner to further increase my professional autonomy.
In 2019, I was extremely proud to receive the first Sheffield Primary Care Award for Commitment to Nursing.
I have recently completed 35 years working in the same surgery as dual role of PN/ANP. It has been an absolute honour and privilege to see generations of families grow and be involved in their lives at each stage. I chose a dual role to ensure I did not relinquish my clinical skills and found this to be a very fulfilling balance.
Recently I left this surgery and commenced work as a Practice Nurse at a different surgery where I have returned to basics for a new chapter in my career. I feel my career has now gone full circle but that I still have more to give.
Reflection on Choosing the Nursing Profession
I have come to realise that nursing defines who I am as a person and this impacts into all corners of my life in a positive way.
During the 50-year span of my nursing career I have seen many innovative changes in nursing to include technological advances, improvements in disease diagnostics and treatments, health promotion and increased life expectancy.
The concept of video consultations and Accurx/text to reach more patients, and allow different and varied access to consultations, would have initially been thought of as ‘ science fiction’. These are now very valuable tools used on a daily basis.
Then of course there was the pandemic in 2020 which was unprecedented and impossible to be fully mentally prepared for both before and after the event.
If I were I able to revert to a time in my life when I was choosing my career, I would choose nursing again in a heartbeat. There is, for me, no other career that is as variable, portable and rewarding as my chosen one.
The basic ethos of nursing, however, remains the same, maintaining respect, encouraging patient autonomy, promoting wellbeing, ensuring safety, and acting with integrity, empathy and compassion.
I penned this poem after being awarded the ‘Commitment to Nursing’ title in 2019:
NURSING
Taking the time to listen and care
Helping those who need you to know you are there
Providing healthcare from cradle to grave
Encouraging all to engage and be brave
Being a voice for those who cannot find the words to speak
Passionate and dedicated every day of the week
Supporting your colleagues who are people too
Professional pride in the work that we do
Drained and hardworking in difficult times
Goodwill prevails in the mountains we climb
In a heartbeat the reward of a smile
From a patient you have made a difference to makes it all worthwhile
Nursing and shaping the health of the nation
Is not just a job it’s a privilege and a lifetime vocation
QICN Long Service Award
Joy holds the QICN Long Service Award badge which celebrates dedication to community nursing. The Long Service Award is available to community nurses across all specialties, who have completed 21 years of service.
To find out more and apply for the award, please visit our webpage.
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