Pulse Nursing 20th Anniversary: A Day in the Life

Even after 20 years, there’s no typical day for a Pulse nurse

Cast your mind back 20 years. In April 1996, whilst Atlanta was preparing to host the Olympic Games and Celine Dion was topping the charts, Pulse Nursing was starting out on its journey to become one of the UK’s leading healthcare staffing agencies. As part of our 20-year anniversary celebrations, we’ve been talking to some of the amazing nurses, midwives, operating department practitioners and healthcare assistants that have been working with us since the very beginning.

We asked a selection of Pulse healthcare professionals what changes in nursing they’d witnessed over the past two decades, what it’s like now and what a typical day holds. One of the overwhelming impressions we came away with was that no day is ever the same.

“Apart from getting to work and going home, there’s no such thing as a typical day in nursing. In intensive care you never know what you’re going into. I love that – I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie!” Cheryl, ITU nurse 

Matthew, an anaesthetist from London agrees, and advises, “Every day is different so go to work with an open mind as you never know what might happen. In paediatrics there are often upset kids, I have to adapt to help them as they can be emotional. Being a calming influence is especially important in paediatrics.” Bronwyn from London adds, “For a scrub nurse like me, every day can be different but I love the fact that I’m helping and caring for people.”

Another common theme was the fact that although shifts can be long, they speed by. “I work full time with Pulse and usually work long day shifts – 07:00-21:00,” says Alvin, a surgical nurse. “The shifts are very long but because I’m always so busy they go by quickly.”

Caroline, a nursing home healthcare assistant agrees. “I typically work 12-hour shifts. The day goes very quickly and before you know it is time to go home. When I finish my shift and handover I never have anything to worry about because I know the patients will be in safe hands. I always leave work happy, knowing I’ve done my best to care for the patients I’ve been with that day and can go home and relax.”

Perlita, a general nurse in London, enjoys the busy nature of her job: “Every day is different, you never see the same thing and you continue to learn each day,” she tells us. “It’s very challenging and very busy depending on where you are – especially surgery – but I enjoy it when it’s busy and time goes quickly.”

Monica, an ITU nurse feels nursing has changed a lot over the past 20 years. “The typical day has become more stressful,” she tells us. “I feel like nursing has lost a bit of teamwork and morale. Patients have also got more demanding.” Hard work is certainly something we heard about from almost all of the nurses we spoke to, with Frank, a surgical nurse from Kent telling us “A typical day is rushing to accomplish all the necessary tasks.”

We are proud to say that all our nurses, wherever they are and whatever their specialism, put their patients first. Tracy, a surgical nurse, describes her role as a cancer specialist: “I currently work full time 9-5 Monday to Friday supporting patients all the way through their cancer journey. I break bad news, support them through surgery and treatment, and I am their first point of call if they or their families have any questions or worries. I spend a lot of time with the patients talking to them and giving them advice.”

London-based Kathryn sums her job as a paediatric nurse up beautifully: “There is no typical day. The only typical thing is that we provide love and care in each.”

We at Pulse Nursing would like to thank each and every one of the nurses that have worked with us over the last 20 years for their dedication and compassion. Without you, it wouldn’t be possible.

Pulse have thousands of nursing jobs in different locations and positions to suit anyone. If you’re interested in working with us – whether for days, nights, weekends or ad-hoc shifts we’d like to speak to you. Simply register your interest here or contact us.

For further information, you may wish to consult the resources below: