A WOMAN who had dreams of having a career in the entertainment industry has turned her passion to nursing.

Sarah Metcalfe, who was brought up in Darlington, has joined St Teresa's Hospice as a clinical specialist, where she will work with the charity’s consultant assessing patients, diagnosing conditions and developing care plans to ensure the highest quality of life as they live with life-limiting illnesses.

Ms Metcalfe did a degree in design crafts for the entertainment industry, even coming second in a national design competition, but struggled to find a job and retrained as a nurse.

She said: “I love seeing the time that is dedicated to patients and their families, the personalised symptom management and the compassionate person-centred care.

“My new role is challenging and I’m aware of the increased level of responsibility. I do a lot of research on drugs and their effects on co-morbidities, which is very interesting and I’m really enjoying. It also makes me appreciate the cost of care and how lucky we are to have the hospice.

“The aim is to make every patient journey as memorable and positive as it possibly can be and I feel so proud to work at St Teresa’s, a place of laughter and smiles as well as, at times, tears.

"It is a privilege to be with a really special team of colleagues who work tirelessly to provide the very best patient and family care we can.”

Chief executive of St Teresa’s Hospice Jane Bradshaw said: “We are thrilled with Sarah’s appointment which is recognition of the high level of skills she has developed over the time she has been with us as a nurse.

“Quality is the lynchpin of the care the hospice offers to people in Darlington, South Durham and North Yorkshire and Sarah will help us maintain this in the future.”