A ward manager at a Cambridgeshire hospital has celebrated 40 years in the NHS.
Sandra Dade started her career in 1984 and joined the Trust 20 years ago, working on the end-of-life care and rehabilitation ward at the North Cambridgeshire Hospital in Wisbech.
To this day, she says Florence Nightingale remains her inspiration.
She said: "The fundamentals of care, compassion, and infection control that she put in place have never really changed.
"She put in place the principles of modern healthcare and nursing.
"Nursing is about people – looking after them, caring for them, and paying attention to their needs."
Growing up in Scotland, Mrs Dade became a student nurse in 1984 and began working in Ayrshire after she qualified.
She later moved to work at a hospital in London, but it was her position in Australia that helped her to travel the world.
After travelling across Australia and New Zealand, she took a role at a hospital bordering Jordan and Saudi Arabia, where she met her husband, Peter.
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She said: "I didn’t know at that point what a connection I would end up having with the place.
"I really don’t know where the time has gone, but it’s always been about the people – both patients and fellow staff."
"I’ve always had that autonomy and it’s always kept me interested.
"Working in the NHS and healthcare has always been about change – new policies, new technologies, new governments with new mandates – but we’ve never lost the fundamentals.
"Nursing is more than a job, and it’s given me the most fantastic career and experiences, and I still enjoy supporting new staff and encouraging them to become the nurses they want to be."
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