The Deputy CEO of St Andrew’s Healthcare has completed his “beneficial and rewarding” 16-week course which saw him complete his return to nursing program with the University of Northampton.

Jess Lievesley, who announced he was returning to university to regain his nursing registration in the spring, has also donated his £500 stipend from Health Education England money. He gave the money to the Heygate ward where he did much of his training.

Jess said: “The support I’ve received from the whole team on Heygate has been absolutely incredible. I would particularly like to credit Natasha Long, Mark Pick, Danny Wills and Akim Bande for their patience, commitment and dedication to helping me find my nursing feet once again.”

Explaining why he decided to retrain in the first place, Jess said: “Over the past two years it’s been the nurses who so frequently have held everything together. They’ve worked long hours, in challenging circumstances and covering for staff who may have been isolating or ill themselves. They’ve done it all during perhaps the most stressful and unpredictable moments in our lifetime and I wanted to recognise this as well as encouraging others to return to the profession.

“Things are thankfully looking a bit more positive in the UK at the moment, but should we ever experience another pandemic, or if Covid-19 forces us back into lockdown again, I want to know that I can help. If there’s ever a next time – and I very much hope there isn’t – I now know that I can help take action and work alongside our dedicated nursing colleagues, helping to make a difference."

Jess completed the Return to Nursing Practice Programme with the University of Northampton, attending clinical practice during annual leave and at weekends on one of St Andrews’ psychiatric intensive care units.

He said: “It really has been extremely beneficial and rewarding for me to return to nursing. So much has changed since I was last on the wards, but the fundamental nursing ethos is hard wired within us. We always put our patients & service users first, and it’s been wonderful to get back to my professional roots and remind myself why I began doing what I did in the first place.”

Jess joined St Andrew's in April 2019 from the Hertfordshire Partnership NHS University Foundation Trust, where he was Executive Director of Delivery and Service User Experience. He has more than 25 years’ experience in the healthcare sector, having started out in nursing and specialising in mental healthcare nursing. He has since held senior positions in both public sector and NHS organisations.

He added: “I’m hoping that my decision to retrain might have inspired a few others out there to do the same. It’s never too late and the medical profession will always need nurses. Our door at St Andrew’s Healthcare is certainly always open for anyone who has a passion for working with people with complex mental health conditions. 

If you are a nurse who would like to regain their registration in any field of the nursing profession please email Ros.Wray@northampton.ac.uk, or Mary.Kitson@northampton.ac.uk at University of Northampton and if you would like to do you clinical practice hours here at St Andrews Healthcare please contact Grogers@Standrew.co.uk