Tracy’s Fairytale Ending

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Advanced Paediatric Nurse Practitioner Tracy McNeill was inspired by the words of a certain Mr Walt Disney: “If you can dream it, you can do it.” And it was that determination that saw the paediatric specialist return to study later in life and move into the career she had always longed for.

On leaving school Tracy went into nursery nursing and then worked as a nanny before taking her nursing Diploma at Edge Hill University. “From the minute I qualified I knew I wanted to do more,” she recalls. “I worked for 12 years as a nurse and I really enjoyed it but I always knew I had more to give.”

In 2016, Tracy’s dream started to become reality when she was given the chance to apply for a secondment that would involve a Masters at LJMU leading to an Advanced Practitioner role. “I had never done an undergraduate degree so it was all a bit daunting but I knew it was the right move,” she says.

Tracy studied alongside a diverse group of students from all walks of paediatrics. “Academic writing at level seven was no mean feat,” she smiles. “Fortunately the student support was phenomenal and that, alongside my passion for the role, kept driving me forward no matter how far out of my comfort zone I was feeling.”

Life as an advanced paediatric practitioner is everything Tracy dreamed of and more. “I love every minute of it,” she beams. “I learn something new every day and I know I am making a real difference.”

So what advice does Tracy have for those considering a move back to education? “Just do it!” she laughs. “Take every opportunity, trust in yourself, anything is achievable and remember: if you can dream it, you can do it!”

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