Read our feature on sisters Donna and Jenny Mackay, two of our recently qualified nurses, and the highs and lows of their journey into nursing.
Donna and Jenny Mackay are sisters and two of our recently qualified nurses. They began studying nursing at the same time in 2019 and after many hurdles they qualified in August of this year, finally beginning their journey with NHS Highland in September.
Donna and Jenny’s mum worked in the old Craig Dunain hospital for over twenty years as a nursing assistant, later going on to train as a general nurse when she was in her forties. The sisters used to dress up in their mum’s uniform when they were children, and their great granny also worked as a psychiatric nurse in the same hospital - it seemed that nursing was in their blood!
Jenny said: “We are both extremely proud of our mum and she inspires us so much. We saw how hard she worked as a nursing assistant and during her training. It gave us an insight for when we decided to train - she showed us it can be done at any age!”
Both single mums, they had to juggle jobs that suited school hours. Jenny initially studied a three and a half year beauty therapy course in order to gain qualifications with the intention of aiding her into a nursing degree. There was a lot of anatomy and physiology involved in the course and it helped her build skills in studying and writing essays.
Donna studied a number of health and social care courses at the Open University while working as a nursing auxiliary at the Birnie Child Development Centre from 2009 until 2016. She then completed an SVQ 3 in health and social care during her time as a Support Worker at the Corbett Centre. It was a mental health course with the Open University that made Donna decide that she wanted to further her knowledge and qualifications in mental health nursing.
Donna and Jenny both wanted to acquire their nursing degrees, but knew that doing so would involve placements with unsociable hours in any location within the Highlands and Islands. In 2019, their dad retired and supported the sisters with childcare along with their mum so they could undertake their degrees. They were both accepted into their courses in September 2019 – Jenny in Adult Nursing, and Donna in Mental Health Nursing.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, studying became understandably tougher. Donna said: “Lectures moved online and we were no longer able to mix with and get to know our peers. We were lucky to have each other during this time. We were able to discuss uni work together and support each other the whole way through.”
However, in May 2020, Donna and Jenny received the devastating news that their dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The sisters struggled to continue with their studies due to the circumstances, but their mum and dad encouraged them to stay focussed. It meant so much to their dad that his daughters were following their ambitions and on their way to securing careers in nursing. Throughout his illness, Donna and Jenny supported him by attending appointments for his treatment using Near Me due to Covid restrictions at the time. Towards the end of his illness they cared for him at home, making sure he was never alone, which would have been impossible without the help and childcare support from their mum. Their respective work placement areas also allowed them to coordinate shifts so they could each care for their dad.
“We will never forget the support and compassion shown by our placement areas and our mum, who took over childcare duties, during such a difficult time,” said Jenny.
Sadly, Donna and Jenny’s dad passed away in May 2021. The sisters feel their experience in caring for their dad has enhanced their ability to provide person-centred care and highlighted the importance of supporting families and carers.
“We know he will be so proud of us for both qualifying with distinction and securing jobs within NHS Highland,” said Donna.
We loved hearing about and were so moved by Donna and Jenny’s nursing story. We wish them both a long and successful career in NHS Highland and are so lucky to have them as part of our incredible nursing workforce!