Published on 14 March 2022
Abbi Smith gave up a career in fashion to work for East Kent Hospitals – and doesn’t regret it for a second.
She joined the team at the William Harvey Hospital as a healthcare assistant, before studying for a degree in nursing, and is now working in her dream role as a clinical nurse specialist (CNS).
Abbi works with head and neck cancer patients, supporting them from diagnosis through their treatment and beyond, and although it’s totally different from her previous work she now can’t imagine doing anything else.
The 45 year old said: “Working in fashion, people would get stressed about the most ridiculous things, like a batch of branded knickers not turning up on time.
“When my mum, and then one of my good friends, had some health problems and I spent a lot of time visiting hospitals, I thought I would like a bit of a change, and to do a job where what I did mattered and I could make a difference.
“My friend was working as a sister on Rotary Ward at the hospital and she suggested I applied for a job as a healthcare assistant – and I got it!”
Abbi’s dream was then to qualify as a nurse, ideally working with the head and neck team on Rotary Ward, so she studied alongside working full time, renting out her spare room to help cover the costs of her mortgage.
When she qualified there were no vacancies on the ward so she spent 18 months working as a district nurse, before training as a chemotherapy nurse and working in the Cathedral Day Unit at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital.
Then she saw an advert for her dream role, as a CNS with the head and neck team.
She said: “I loved head and neck from my first days on the ward, and when I saw Sue Honour, one of the head and neck CNSs at work I thought I could see myself doing that.
“Sue gave me some great insight which helped when I had my interview and I was so proud when I was offered the job.
“I feel very lucky to be working in this role; I love it and I’d recommend it to anyone. It’s a privileged position, being able to be that support for people when they really need it.
“I didn’t in a million years think I would end up being a specialist nurse when I first joined the Trust as a healthcare assistant, but now I’m here and I couldn’t be happier.
“The owner of the fashion company where I worked told me I was too old to change career. I’d love to see him now and show him just how wrong he was.”
