A group of NHS nurses are being featured in a community museum exhibition exploring and celebrating nursing in the Tees Valley. Nursing the Tees Valley Exhibition, open now at Kirkleatham Museum in Redcar , shares the memories and experiences of both retired and current nurses, about what working as a nurse in the area is like. The nurses work or have worked at various NHS Trusts in the region, including Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Over the past year, they have been telling their stories on tape, to provide an oral history that will accompany the various nursing artefacts the museum holds. The exhibition is running until Sunday, September 15. Here, we tell the stories of those involved – Steve Harrison, Mercy Cabrega, Paddy Neasham and Teresa Hannaway.
Steve’s story Steve Harrison’s 45-year career at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) began after a chance conversation with his auntie sparked an interest in becoming a mental health nurse. She had heard about new nursing assistant roles in the NHS and a vacancy working with teenagers. So, at 19-years-old, Steve started as a nursing assistant and discovered a lifelong vocation and passion for helping others.
Throughout his career working within children and young people’s mental health, he’s been involved in pioneering community nursing consultant roles and services, national government.