Navigating Nursing Laura Whitehead

In this episode Laura meets with Captain Stephen Worsley who is a Deputy senior nursing officer at Defence Primary Healthcare in the Army.
Stephen discusses why he decided to train as a nurse and the reason he chose Primary health care as a speciality. Stephen gives advice to anyone interested in Primary Health care and he discusses his experience studying for a Post graduate certificate in Unscheduled Primary Health care. He talks about how he joined the army and gives any advice for anyone interested in joining the military. He discusses the opportunities he has had whilst being the in the Army and how the Army has enabled him to develop outside of Nursing, including becoming a Physical Training Instructor. Stephen has just completed the Negotiated Learning module in order to top up to BSc Hons Nursing practice development and gives advice for anyone wishing to complete any post graduate study. Stephen is currently a deputy senior nursing officer and he talks about his role. Stephen shares advice for anyone who is a student nurse or a newly qualified nurse. He shares his 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)

Katy discusses how she joined the army reserves and her motivations for joining the army full time. Katy has worked in Intensive Care since qualifying and provides advice for anyone interested in working in this speciality. She talks about her motivations for joining the army reserves and why she decided to join the army full time. Katy has completed post graduate qualifications in Intensive care nursing and provides advice for anyone wishing to study at level 7. Katy shares what her current role as Practice development officer and how she enjoys supporting and developing other nurses. Katy discusses her career aims and 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)

Sgt Emmanuel Ebrada is a Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner in the NHS and Critical Care nurse in the Army reserves. Manny shares his journey to studying to be a nurse and how this was driven by his passion for travel. Manny shares how he worked in the Philippines, Singapore and then moved to the United Kingdom. He discusses his career in Intensive care and why he was drawn to working in this speciality.
Manny is a Critical Care nurse in the Army Reserves and he gives advice for anyone interested in joining the military. He talks about the support he has received from the Army in terms of his educational development, and how completing further postgraduate study has shaped his career. He shares the opportunities the Army has provided him, including travel and taking part in triathlons. Manny provides advice for anyone wishing to study at level 7 as he is currently completing a MSc alongside working full time in the NHS and being in the Army reserves. Manny shares his career 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)

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)