Mourning the loss of his nursing career, Jason found himself sleeping rough and contemplating ending his life. But when he reached out for help, optimism and hope returned and he’s now on his way back.

During a difficult time in his 20s, Jason was looking for a career into which he could throw his energy and enthusiasm. A community nurse at his local Church suggested he’d be a good fit for nursing so Jason secured some volunteering work in a care setting, helping people with a wide range of disabilities, to understand what the role could entail.

“I’ve always been interested in restoring the health and wellbeing of others,” explains Jason “caring for them when they need it most, so I thought nursing would be the best fit for my personality.”

Jason qualified as a nurse in 1995 and gained experience in settings such as orthopaedics, A&E, intensive care, community nursing and most recently as a Medical Advisor for a private medical insurance company.

Jason worked in the role for 20 years and more recently started to need time off sick,

“I’ve had problems with sleep apnoea causing chronic insomnia for quite some time,” says Jason “which affected my ability to do my nursing role properly. I had to have a lot of time off sick but my employer was very supportive of me over a long period of time.”

However, Jason says his employer eventually started applying pressure on him by reporting him for misconduct issues. In total there were four instances that lead to hearings.

“None of the issues were proven,” explains Jason “but by the fourth one I couldn’t take the stress and anxiety anymore. So I resigned my post.”

Jason grieved for the loss of his nursing career, entering a downward spiral. Along with the insomnia, he was also suffering from a bowel disorder that caused him great discomfort and fear. He isolated himself for an entire year, not socialising or seeing anybody, just staying in his home.

“I didn’t look for any other work or apply for Universal Credit, I just lived on my savings,” he explains “Eventually I had to leave my rented home and I made a plan to travel to Eastbourne in Sussex to end my life by jumping off the cliff at Beachy Head. I just couldn’t carry on anymore.”

Despite being racked with grief and in great pain from his medical conditions, Jason couldn’t bring himself to jump.

“The thought of surviving the fall and being in a worst state prevented me from doing it,” he says “I ended up sleeping rough in Eastbourne for a while before getting support from some incredible local charities and organisations like the Salvation Army, providing me with food and shelter.”

A local Christian charity rescued Jason from sleeping rough and housed him for a couple of months. During that time, with support, he discovered some optimism and hope and eventually felt strong enough to move on. He owns a property in Durham so he decided to make the move north, where he now lives.

“The house was empty when I moved in and I had loads of debts,” says Jason “but with more help from a debt management organisation and from Cavell, I’m gradually paying back what I owe.”

Jason found Cavell through the Turn2Us website and applied for a grant to help cover some of his most urgent arrears.

“I know some people find it difficult to ask for help,” says Jason “but I was in a good state of mind when I applied to Cavell. I’d already received advice and support from other organisations so when I found Cavell, a charity there specifically to help nurses like me, it felt easy to reach out.

“The support from Cavell has been great, it’s a relief to pay off some of my most urgent debts along with support from other organisations and family too. I’ve still got a long way to go but I’m feeling a lot more confident about my situation now.”

That confidence is also helping Jason to look for his next nursing role.

“I received some amazing news that the Nursing and Midwifery Council has added me back onto their register,” explains Jason “which means I’m able to practice as a nurse again!

“I thought this would never happen as my previous employer refused to give them the reference they requested. But the NMC has decided to have faith in me, it’s a tremendous relief! So I’m starting to look for nursing work now. It was tough to begin with but I know I need to keeping looking.”

Jason is grateful to those people who support him and his nursing and midwifery colleagues across the UK through the help that Cavell can provide. He has a message for anyone thinking of donating to or fundraising for the charity.

“I’d say that if you were wondering if your money will do any good, it will. You will be helping someone through funding the services that organisations like Cavell can offer. I’ve received help from lots of organisations over the last year and they couldn’t exist without the generosity of donors and fundraisers like you.”

The next chapter

Cavell spoke to Jason a year later to find out how things were going. Jason said, “I’ve been doing great! When I think back to those difficult days, my life couldn’t be more different now. I have a great job and my own home in the fantastic countryside. I believe that I work for one of the most dynamic, integrated health and social care NHS Trusts within the UK.

Jason now works as a community nurse and loves his job. He commented, “Community nursing has rapidly changed and evolved since I started in the profession 20 years ago. Where responsibility used to be dependent upon grading, we are now independent practitioners with plenty of learning and developmental opportunities for professional growth and accountability.

My role encompasses everything from IV therapy administration, blood collection, catheterisation, treating wounds and preventing pressure sores. We support housebound patients, diabetic patients and those requiring end-of-life care. Having that responsibility is amazing and has led to increased job satisfaction as well as personal and professional development. I believe that health and social care patient outcomes are being truly optimised. I’m enjoying every minute of it!”

In the past, Jason’s struggles were due to the devastating impact that sleep apnea and insomnia had on his health. Now, he is under the care of a clinician and has full support from his employer.

“My sleep apnea is better managed these days; I have a machine that supports my airways while I sleep, and this is working to combat the insomnia (caused by sleep apnea). When it was bad in the past, I was trying to function on 2-3 hours of sleep every day, which really is a form of torture. Now my sleep has improved significantly, and my employer do all they can to support me and my condition.

Jason gives thanks to Cavell for being a steppingstone in helping him get his life back on track. “Cavell, alongside other organisations, helped me to furnish my home and make it my own. Your home is a space to rest, recharge and be restored.  Our environment plays a huge part in our wellbeing, and it makes a difference to be somewhere comfortable, especially living with health conditions.”

 

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