After 45 years in nursing, Ellen Hudson, Deputy Nurse Director, recently retired. Ellen started her career as a nursing auxiliary, then completed her training and became a registered nurse in Glasgow, gaining experience and expertise in burns and plastic surgery nursing as well as midwifery. Ellen was a district nurse in Glasgow before moving into a range of clinical service and practice development posts where she established a number of integrated care services and became a lead nurse in the community. She moved into Assistant Director of Nursing roles in Primary Care, first in Lomond & Argyll and then Greater Glasgow. She then became Head of Nursing for the Rehabilitation & Assessment Directorate in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Before joining NHS Forth Valley, Ellen worked for 10 years in a national role as the Associate Director for Professional Practice with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Scotland. She was responsible for leading the professional ‘College’ arm of the RCN which included the learning and development, knowledge and research and policy functions. Her role required Ellen to have an overview of all education, policy, regulatory and professional practice issues which impact on nurses and nursing. This knowledge and expertise was used extensively in her role as Deputy Nurse Director and chair of the Scottish Deputy Nurse Directors Forum in Scotland.
Ellen continues to be passionate about nursing which has only recently been rivalled by the birth of her second grandson who she is looking forward to going to visit soon in South Africa where her son and his family, her brothers and their families and her Uncle and cousins live. So, retirement will bring many opportunities to be much closer to her family as well as pursuing a range of other pursuits and interests that are on her ‘to do’ list. Ellen therefore sees this next exciting chapter as her reinvention not a retirement!
