Francis Sheridan
Former nurse
Francis Sheridan initially had a career working in engineering. In 1984 due to circumstances beyond his control he found himself laid off for a month. He volunteered on an elderly mental illness unit in Ormskirk District General Hospital, where he found the experience interesting and was offered a position on the unit. By accident he found himself in a job centre in Ormskirk where he saw a position at Moss Side Special Hospital in Maghull, which later became Ashworth Hospital. He applied and was accepted. He spent the next two years working as a nursing assistant (now known as a healthcare assistant). Mr Sheridan then became a nursing student and successfully achieved a staff nurse position as a learning disability nurse. He worked on various high secure wards, specialising in caring for people with behaviour that challenges until he retired in 2015. He then returned to work four years later in an NHS medium secure unit until an accident on 6 January 2024 left him with a spinal injury.
In his own words: ‘When I look at my career and my son’s – Ross Sheridan – I see how different they are. He has had a lot more chances to experience different aspects of nursing in such a short period of time and achieved several promotions. Though I say I would not change any of my experience during my nearly 40 years of nursing.’
Francis Sheridan is speaking at the following session on Wednesday 23 October
From working on the frontline of care to receiving care: a personal story of managing change and stress