Navigating Nursing Laura Whitehead

In this episode Laura meets with SSgt Gordie Mackenzie, who is a Registered adult nurse, Primary health care nurse, and part of the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps.
Gordie discusses how he qualified from Robert Gordon university in 2012 and his journey as a newly qualified nurse. He gives advice for anyone interested in joining the Army, and discusses his motivations for joining. Geordie talks about the reason he started working in Primary Health Care, and provides advice for anyone interested in changing speciality from secondary to primary care. Gordie shares his own journey through preceptorship and how when provided with the correct support all nurses can thrive. Gordie talks about his journey through post graduate speciality training and gives advice for anyone wishing to complete any further continual professional development. Geordie shares his experiences whilst on deployment and his career goals for the future.

For further information please follow:
X = @DMS_MilMed
Linkedin = Defence Medical Services
Insta = @StrategicCommand
UK armed forces
You can browse regular and reservist roles here:

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service
Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps
Princess Mary’s RAF Nursing Service

Civil Service
The MOD employs civilians in clinical and other relevant business and technical roles:

Civil Service Jobs
Flexible Resource Pool (Bank)

In this episode Lt Colonel Mohammed Fertout discusses his career in the army, where he was a combat medic for 11 years prior to starting his Mental Health Nursing training. Mo worked at an inpatient unit on qualifying and talks about his transition to working in the community and the need for the appropriate support for nurses making this transition. Mo went on to complete the Regular Commissions Board to become an Army Nursing Officer completing Professional Qualified Officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He then worked as a nursing officer in Cyprus and was also deployed to Iraq twice during a very tough period.
Mo has also worked as a Lecturer and Research Fellow and was seconded to the Kings College Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) London. He discusses how he contributed and published research focused on post deployment mental health problems. He also completed a MSc in War and psychiatry, and how this enabled him to explore the roles nurses play in population and public Mental health and witness the impact of conflict and violence on populations as much as individuals.
Mo discusses the need to be open minded to opportunities and how his career has been impacted by advice and recommendations from colleagues. He talks about how he then took up a role focusing on health improvement and how this enabled him to develop his knowledge and experience about the links between physical and mental health. During the Covid-19 pandemic Mo was responsible for coordinating some of the Defence response to supporting the NHS but still ensuring enough clinical workforce remained to support Defence operations held at readiness or deployed around the globe.
Mo shares how he is on the Defence medical leadership programme in partnership with Cumbria university and gives advice to anyone wishing to complete any further study. He gives advice for people interested in joining the military and for student nurses. The episode ends with Mo sharing his plans for the future and his career aims.

For further information please follow:
X = @DMS_MilMed
Linkedin = Defence Medical Services
Insta = @StrategicCommand
UK armed forces
You can browse regular and reservist roles here:

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service
Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps
Princess Mary’s RAF Nursing Service

Civil Service
The MOD employs civilians in clinical and other relevant business and technical roles:

Civil Service Jobs
Flexible Resource Pool (Bank)

In this episode Laura speaks with Company Sergeant Major Cally Brunton. Cally is the Company Sergeant Major for Ypres Company at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Cally originally joined the army as a health care assistant and discusses her journey to becoming a registered nurse. She provides advise for anyone interested in joining the army and wishing to study to become a nurse.
She talks about her new role at Sandhurst and how she juggles her desire to remain clinically up to date as a Primary Health Care nurse. Cally has recently completed her non- medical prescribing course and gives advise for anyone interested in this qualification. She also shares her career aims and hopes for the future.
For further information please follow:
X = @DMS_MilMed
Linkedin = Defence Medical Services
Insta = @StrategicCommand
UK armed forces
You can browse regular and reservist roles here:

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service
Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps
Princess Mary’s RAF Nursing Service

Civil Service
The MOD employs civilians in clinical and other relevant business and technical roles:

Civil Service Jobs
Flexible Resource Pool (Bank)

In this episode Laura meets with Suzanne Turner who is the Regional Nurse Advisor for Defence Primary Health Care Scotland & Northern Ireland.
Suzanne shares how she trained as a nurse at Anglia Ruskin University after a career as a civil servant with the Ministry of Defence. Suzanne discusses how she worked in the community as a newly qualified nurse, and provides for advice for anyone who also is interested working in this speciality. Suzanne then moved on to a Clinical Team Lead post and shares advice for anyone hesitant to apply for a leadership position. Suzanne talks about how missed working with the military and applied and was successful in getting the Specialist Practice Nurse role at Fort George in Scotland. Suzanne is currently studying for a MSc for Advanced Professional Practice and gives advice for anyone wishing to study at level 7. Suzanne is also a Professional Nurse Advocate and she shares the impact that this training and role has had on her practice. Suzanne discusses her current role as Regional Nurse Advisor for Defence Primary Health Care Scotland & Northern Ireland and how she is enjoying the challenges and opportunities this role presents. Suzanne also shares advice for students, newly qualified nurses or anyone interested in working as a civilian within defence nursing.
For further information please follow:
X = @DMS_MilMed
Linkedin = Defence Medical Services
Insta = @StrategicCommand
UK armed forces
You can browse regular and reservist roles here:
Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service
Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps
Princess Mary’s RAF Nursing Service
Civil Service
The MOD employs civilians in clinical and other relevant business and technical roles:
Civil Service Jobs
Flexible Resource Pool (Bank)

Sharon Fox is a Regional Nursing Advisor for Defence Primary health Care North region. Sharon shares her nursing career, from being one of the first ‘Project 2000’ nurses having completed her training at Stoke Mandeville Hospital (part of Oxford Brookes University).
She started her career working on a surgical ward and has moved in various Intensive Care settings. Sharon discussed how she moved to Germany and started work in Primary Health care and how her career has progressed since then. She gives advise for anyone interested in this speciality and for anyone interested working with the military as a civilian. She also shares her career goals and aims for the future.
For further information please follow:
X = @DMS_MilMed
Linkedin = Defence Medical Services
Insta = @StrategicCommand
UK armed forces
You can browse regular and reservist roles here:

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service
Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps
Princess Mary’s RAF Nursing Service

Civil Service
The MOD employs civilians in clinical and other relevant business and technical roles:

Civil Service Jobs
Flexible Resource Pool (Bank)

Welcome to series 5 of Navigating Nursing. In this series I interview Defence nurses, including nurses working in the regular military, reserves and civil service nurses.
This series highlights the diversity of the nursing profession and aims to inspire nurses, Nurse associates, healthcare support workers and students.
#DefenceNursing #Onemedicalmindset #futureDMS #DMS
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