Career profile: Lisa O’Sullivan

Why did you become a nurse?

Usually, when you ask people why they became a nurse, they will say it runs in the family, or they’ve wanted to be a nurse since they were a child. None of these applied to me. I fell into nursing by pure accident.

One day, I received a Nursing and Midwifery Council disc in the post. I had no idea who the NMC were but popped it into my computer and started watching it. It sparked my interest in nursing and I wanted to know more. I grew up in an Irish family looking after my brothers, daughter and father, so it felt like a natural progression for me. Compassion mixed with a good sense of humour was a great starting point. I undertook two courses with the Open University and volunteered at my local hospice before starting a three-year nursing degree as a mature student. I haven’t looked back since.