Pam celebrates 50 years with NHS, and she's 'not done yet!'

AN inspirational NHS community nurse has marked her 50-year work anniversary.

- By KIRSTIM MCCRUM

Pam McIvor started her career as an auxiliary in May 1975.

Pam, who now works for University Hospitals Tees, kicked off five decades of healthcare at the Friarage Hospital, Northallerton.

She is now the clinical lead for urgent community response, Hospital@Home and the end-of-life care co-ordination service at the same hospital she started her career in and is showing no signs of retiring.

She said: "Nursing has always been more than just a job for me, it's a vocation."

Pam was first inspired to become a nurse after visiting her father in hospital after he suffered a heart attack. With support from the trust, she gained a place at the College of Ripon and St John to start her nurse training (Adult Branch) and qualified in 1998.

She quickly found her niche working within the community and following further study, secured a BA (Hons) in adult nursing at York University before going on to complete a BSc (Hons) in specialist practitioner district nursing degree at Durham University in 2001.