“Do the Job to the Best of Your Ability”: says trailblazer nurse Nora Whitham MBE

As she receives an Outstanding Contribution Award from the University of Bradford, Nora imparted some advice to the next generation of workers: "Do the job to the best of your ability... and get rid of anger, frustration, resentment and bitterness, as it will burn you out and not anyone else."

This simple but profound advice captures the spirit of a career that has spanned continents, disciplines, and five decades of uninterrupted service to nursing and education.

Born in South Africa to Chinese parents, Nora grew up under apartheid, facing restrictions that limited her access to higher education, especially as a woman of colour. "I wanted to be a nurse and was unable to access any course that was suitable to a Chinese female," she recalls. So, with nothing more than an interview scheduled, she left for the UK with little certainty but a heart full of hope.

A Career Born from Determination

Despite having no formal education in biology or anatomy, Nora was accepted to train at St Charles Hospital in London. The training was tough, the hours long, and the discipline rigorous, but the camaraderie of nurses living together in the Nurses' Home helped her through. After qualifying, she pursued midwifery in Dunfermline, Scotland, and then crossed the Atlantic to join a renal research unit in Vancouver during the 1960s, a time when renal care was still in its infancy.

Returning to the UK, Nora took on leadership roles at St George's Hospital in Tooting before becoming a qualified Nurse Tutor in 1975. After marrying her husband John - born in Bradford - she moved north and joined various nursing schools in Bradford, Calderdale and Leeds. By 1980, she had joined the School of Nursing at St James's Hospital, where she would eventually rise to become Head of Professional Development, overseeing not just nursing but also professions allied to medicine.

A Legacy of Leadership and Compassion

Her appointment as Head of Professional Development marked a turning point, both personally and professionally. "I was accepted by the other divisional heads and was able to work with them to move the service onwards in the direction required," she says. On her retirement in 2000, she was thanked personally by the Chief Executive of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trusts for her role in transforming staff development and professional education.

Nora didn't stop there. She continued to serve as a hospital governor at Bradford Hospitals Trust during the early days of NHS Foundation Trusts. "It was a steep learning curve," she says. "But it allowed me to maintain a 50-year connection with the NHS."

In her post-retirement years, Nora also helped deliver management training courses for minority ethnic groups, working alongside respected figures like Dr Neslyn Watson-Druée, herself a recipient of an honorary degree from the University of Bradford.

Living a Philosophy of Resilience

What is striking about Nora is not just her professional success, but her emotional and philosophical clarity. "My father taught me to accept our situation and get on with life," she reflects. "Get rid of anger, frustration, resentment and bitterness- they will burn you out, not anyone else."

Her advice is especially poignant for graduates entering uncertain times. "You need to do the job to the best of your ability. Nursing is a vocation: understanding, compassion and human relationships matter. Technology will keep advancing but we must never forget that our patients are human beings with emotions."

A Lifelong Connection to Bradford

Nora's connection to the University of Bradford is more than honorary. Through her membership in Soroptimist International of Bradford - a global volunteer movement to empower women - she helped spearhead a donation of £125,000 to the university. The funds were allocated to support female students, particularly those pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects.

Her support for education and the empowerment of women remains undiminished. "It's vital that women have opportunities, especially in sectors where they've historically been underrepresented," she says.

Advice for the Next Generation

As graduates begin to write their own stories, Nora offers one more piece of guidance: "Nursing - and indeed any profession - is about caring for people, understanding human nature and building relationships. The work will always be needed as long as there is life on this planet."

In an era of digital transformation, shifting job markets and global uncertainty, the enduring values Nora represents - resilience, compassion, humility and excellence - are more relevant than ever.

So, when Nora Whitham MBE tells new graduates to do their best because "someone is always watching," it's not about fear of failure, it's about integrity, self-respect, and recognising the impact one person can have in the world.

She should know. She has had an extraordinary life doing just that.