60 Seconds With…. Alex McMahon

We caught up with Alex McMahon, Scotland’s Chief Nursing Officer, and asked him about his career, his views on the profession, and why he’s supporting Nursing Live.

What advice would you give someone considering a career in nursing?

Don’t think twice. It’s a demanding job, but you will discover there are more opportunities than you could have imagined. The world really is your oyster. Also, it’s a highly skilled profession, which at its core is about caring for all, from newborns to someone approaching the end of life.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?

It must be the words of my careers guidance teacher at school who suggested I consider being a nurse. It had never crossed my mind up until then; I had always wanted to go to Art School. But I applied to appease her. The rest, as they say, is history.

In your opinion, what does the future look like for nursing?

For Scotland, I’d say positive. We have work to do, without a doubt, but the pay and non-pay award north of the border - and the establishment of a nursing and midwifery taskforce – will, I believe, be positive levers for Scottish nursing recruitment, retention, and career development.

What advances have you seen in nursing in your career?

When I think back to my days as a student nurse, where we had over 50 people in open wards with no privacy, and there wasn’t a choice about whether you took sugar in your tea because it was all poured from one huge pot, the advances we have made are staggering. How we care, and the environments in which provide that care, have been transformed. Nurses also now deliver a range of therapies - and work at levels of advanced practice - I couldn’t have ever imagined.

Do you have a message for nurses?

You should be proud. As a profession we do amazing things each and every day. We help people get better and recover from illness, and we support people - and their families - at the end of life. We work across every service within health and care services, and at every level. We influence local and national policy, and we are agents of positive change.

What are your reasons for wanting to be involved with Nursing Live?

Something like Nursing Live is a great way to keep in touch with a broad spectrum of nurses, and you often find you come away having learned something new. Hearing someone speak can also have a massive impact, making you reflect and test your own thinking. Bumping into colleagues that you haven’t seen for a long time is also priceless.