Meet Marie
Marie Chef, staff nurse, shares her thoughts about her role at the trust and some of her challenges and memorable moments.
What does a day in the life of a nurse look like?
A day as a nurse is full of different feelings and emotions. I sometimes feel stressed but I love the adrenaline it gives me. Team work is one of the main and most important things, however it is also about making decisions and taking responsibility, because a nurse needs to deal with patients' situations and act quickly everyday.
What makes your job rewarding?
I would say helping, participating in the treatment of patients and getting recognition for that but also learning something new every day. I love being a nurse and I wouldn't change it for anything.
What are the challenges?
Being a nurse includes working with a lot of people and within a team. I learnt to adapt myself with the time I have. Being a nurse is not only going to work everyday, it is keeping yourself updated on the evolution of the practice and always questioning your own practice so that you can progress.
When did you decide you wanted to become a nurse and how did you set about pursuing this goal?
I have wanted to be a nurse since I was a teenager. I had the opportunity to get an idea of what it's like to work as a nurse through a personal experience and that is when I thought "that's what I want to do in my life!" In France, we need to pass two exams to be accepted into nursing school. The first one is a written exam and if we pass that we go on to the second exam, which is an oral exam - a debate about a specific topic with a jury of three teachers. So, when I was in my last year of secondary school, I applied to a nursing school and I got in! I could not believe it and I remember feeling so happy, it was a dream come true. I started studying the next year and after three years, I got my nursing degree in July 2014.
What is something your colleagues would not know about you?
Honestly, it is hard for me to say. I think I am open and friendly to them and I think they know me pretty well.
What attracted you to a career in nursing at Moorfields?
I had never worked in theatres or ophthalmology before. Moorfields gave me the opportunity to combine both. I have worked in an orthopaedic ward, I liked it but I really wanted to discover theatres. I was also curious about ophthalmology. I don't think it is a well-known speciality and it's not recognised enough. I wanted to do something different and I found everything I was looking for at Moorfields.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in nursing?
I think that you need to be sure that you want to be a nurse and know the good and the bad points. I believe it is a decision to take seriously because you are going to be in front of human beings and you need to be able to make the distinction between professional and personal life. But if you are sure that you want to be a nurse, I would say go for it! It is a great job!
What’s the best/most memorable thing anyone has said to you at work?
I don't really know if there is one specific thing that I could say, the best thing is getting acknowledgement from patients and compliments from my workmates. It shows me that I'm doing well and that I made the right choice in pursuing my goal of becoming a nurse.