A Conversation With... Miss Liv Lucas

Ahead of International Nurses’ Day on Sunday 12 May, we chatted to one of our very own nurses here at the College – Miss Liv Lucas – in today's 'A Conversation With...'! Miss Lucas, who is also an Old Viking has been with us since the start of the academic year and in this feature, we learn more about her career in nursing, what she finds most rewarding, and what she thinks the field needs for the future.  

What is your role and how long have you been working at Shiplake College? 

My role is School Nurse (Bank) here at Shiplake, and I started working part time as a member of the medical wing in September 2023. But I was previously a pupil here in 2015 so I am very familiar with the College already! 

What inspired you to pursue a career in the nursing/healthcare field?   

I have always been passionate about looking after people and in particular babies and children. I found studies challenging and preferred to be on the river to in the classroom, but I had an amazing Tutor here at the College who always told me that anything was possible! I trained in paediatric nursing and have specialised in neonatal intensive care nursing which I have done full time since qualifying. I now do that role part time alongside my job here as a nurse at the College. Plus, my grandmother was a matron worked in paediatric nursing in Stirling, Scotland, and I hoped to follow in her footsteps.  

What is a day in the life like for you at Shiplake?  

A day as a Nurse at Shiplake, I usually work on Tuesday alongside my colleagues Mrs Kate Carberry-Long and Mrs Katie Botham. On Tuesdays, we run a GP clinic here in the morning where we may need to take bloods, sort out prescriptions, and much more. The mornings are busy as alongside this, pupils will drop in to collect regular medications, which is usually followed by some note writing (which of course is done alongside a cup of tea!). We then see students or staff throughout the day who may feel unwell, have injured themselves, see people for concussion checks, or see those who need a friendly face and a chat.   

What is one of the most rewarding (or interesting) things about your role? 

The most rewarding part of being a nurse is the feeling that you have made a difference, and helped someone when they may need it most. Also, working amongst a group of healthcare professionals is great as I'm always learning new things based off everyone's individual expertise! 

The theme for this year's International Nurses Day is 'Our Nurses, Our Future'; what is your vision for nursing in the future?   

My vision for nursing in the future is to see a bigger workforce. I think we need to encourage and empower young people to take up careers in nursing as a lot of the media highlight negatives associated with the job, but don’t discuss any of the positives such as the feeling that you saved a child’s life today, because I think that outweighs nearly every negative!