Actress Vickey Hall, 42, has become a staff nurse at Alexandra Hospital, which is part of Worcestershire Acute Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Previously, she has starred in television shows, such as Line of Duty, Coronation Street and Doctors, as well as hospital-based TV series’ Casualty, Holby City and Bodies, has recently made a dramatic career change.
Ms Hall began her acting career at just 14 years old – working at a fish and chip shop on the weekends to pay for acting lessons. After roles in theatre and the occasional casting as an extra, she got a lead role in the Channel 4 comedy series Teachers.
After Teachers, she starred in a number of other television series’, including roles as a nurse in Line of Duty, Doctors and Coronation Street. “I frequently played nurses, perhaps the universe was trying to tell me something…” said Ms Hall.
Following the birth of her two children, Ms Hall decided acting full time was no longer for her and switched her on-screen role for an off-screen career as a true nurse.
“I thought about what I would do next and decided it had to have all the excitement of acting, the need to really use my brain, and that I would be in demand,” she explained.
Vicky Hall
Vicky Hall
She found emergency nursing to fit what she was looking for and decided to go back to school to do GCSE science again. Once her children had started school, she began her degree.
Having enjoyed her placements at the Alexandra Hospital and having positive personal memories of the care she had received there herself, Ms Hall wanted to stay in the area.
“The Alexandra is a really busy and interesting hospital, but small enough that you get to know people easily. I love our emergency department, I am challenged every day. We are always encouraged to train and keep learning continuously, always upskilling,” she said.
Although Ms Hall has found a new career path, she has not given up on her acting work entirely. Most recently she played her easiest role yet as an A&E nurse in Ken Loach’s film called Sorry We Missed You.
Ms Hall said she was proud of both her acting and nursing careers, and hoped to encourage anyone looking into going into nursing to do so.
“I would recommend working in an emergency department to anyone,” she said. “You gain so much knowledge and confidence if you take the plunge and throw yourself in the deep end!”
https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/hospital/former-casualty-tv-actress-becomes-real-life-ae-nurse/7029824.article