NHS70 countdown: From nurse to lead chaplain, Christine Dolby celebrates 44 years NHS service | Latest news

NHS70 countdown: From nurse to lead chaplain, Christine Dolby celebrates 44 years NHS service

Christine Dolby, Head of Service for the Spiritual and Pastoral Care Department at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, is retiring after a significant 44 years NHS service.

Christine has a unique background, having started her career in the NHS as a nurse for 30 years before transitioning into chaplaincy for 10 years at Nottingham Hospitals.

Throughout her career, Christine has lead on several new developments. She was one of the first practice nurses in Nottinghamshire, starting at a GP practice in East Bridgford in 1988.

Christine said: “In the practice nurse role I was able to develop and shape the responsibilities of nurses – it was an unusual position and not many GPs had introduced this yet, however from this we formed The Trent Practice Nurse Group to fight for the rights of nurses and the training and standardisation going forward. When I initially went into this role, it went from a couple of hours a day to employing four practices nurses before I left. It was fantastic to be part of helping to shape the future for practice nurses in Nottinghamshire.”

Christine spent five years retraining in order to become a chaplain. She did this whilst continuing to work as a nurse and raising a family.

She said: “It wasn’t always the plan to go into a chaplain role however I was a member of my local church and I took a leadership role in this and it sort of grew from there, it took me five years to train part time in the parish and part time in the GP surgery – but it came to the point where I had to make a decision on which way to go and I chose this way.”

Christine described how her experience as a nurse has helped shape pastoral care work in the Chaplaincy at Nottingham Hospitals.

She said: “It was really interesting making the transition as being a nurse I could relate to staff pressures and problems, as well as the patients and their conditions – so the experience has never been a waste.”

“One of my earliest and best memories as a chaplain at Nottingham Hospitals, was when I went to visit a man who had collapsed at home and was found by the postman, the patient’s dog had been trying to stir him with no luck and had scratched his owners face, when the man was finally in hospital he was distraught thinking his dog had died in his absence, however a police man was looking after the dog and  we were able to get the dog brought over to the hospital main entrance and we wheeled the patient down to see him and it was a joyful reunion between man and dog, and from this he the man was out of hospital within a few weeks – seeing his companion changed him and gave him something to live for. This really showed me that it is not just about the treatment but also about making sure patient’s mental health is cared for too.”

During the last 16 months at Nottingham Hospitals, Christine had some health problems which have helped her decision to retire, she said: I’ve been lucky and had some expert treatment. Whilst I’ve got my health I’m going to go away and do the things that I want to do, because if I had a five pound note for everyone I saw in the hospital that said ‘if only I had’ or ‘I really wish that’ and health is so important.”

She added: “I’d describe my time in the NHS as incredible and a gift.”

Christine retired as Head of Service this week but has plans to come back in a volunteer role and spend time with her friends, family and grandchildren in particular.

Andrew Keith, Deputy Head of Service, who will be taking on from Christine said in his speech during her leaving party at Nottingham City Hospital: “Christine is meticulous, consistent and always works so hard in the background. If it needed doing today, Christine would have done it last week. Never afraid to question or challenge Christine will be dearly missed and one of her greatest gifts is naming and sharing what people are good at.”

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