Jess Sainsbury - Nurse

✨ 2 0 2 5 ✨ W O R K ✨ U N W R A P P E D ✨
This time last year I was off sick. I remember watching the world move quickly while I was forced to slow down & it changed how I think about work, impact, & what “success” actually looks like.

2025 has been a year of rebuilding, stretching, & reconnecting with the work I care about most: supporting students & early career professionals to feel safe, confident, & heard - and helping people develop a professional voice that feels authentic, not performative.

I’m proud of what I’ve contributed across two professional “homes” this year: bringing everything I learned at about community, leadership development & meaningful engagement, & bringing that energy into my work at . Honestly, I’ve settled in far better than I expected & I’m grateful for the feedback, support & trust as I’ve found my feet in AHP land.

A few moments that stand out:
Presenting at ICN-International Council of Nurses in Helsinki: sharing how student voice can move from “nice idea” to real shared decision-making.
Delivering my 4th FNF Students Day (a milestone I’m still quietly amazed by).
Returning as a speaker at Nursing Live.
Presenting an award at the Student Nursing Times Awards: one of those full-circle moments that stays with you.
Everything I learned as part of a senior leadership team: budget responsibility, income generation, leading & supporting a team, stakeholder engagement - skills that have genuinely shaped how I work & lead.
And behind the scenes: continuing to build student support work that’s co-produced, practical, & built for real life, not just good on paper.
Full post over on my LinkedIn 🫶🏽

I’m delighted to be returning to this year, alongside the brilliant , to deliver our much-loved session:

🗣️ Finding Your Public Voice: Making Effective Use of Social Media
📅 Wednesday 5 November, 2:00–2:45pm
📍 Workshop Space

Together we’ll explore how healthcare professionals can use social media with purpose: to build networks, shape conversations, and tell their stories with confidence and authenticity.

Whether you’re a pro at posting or simply curious about how to use social media professionally, we’d love you to join us.

Let’s re-imagine how we use our voices (online and off) to influence, inspire, and lead.

I’ve been at the CSP for about 3½ months now, but yesterday was the first time meeting my manager (and most of the team!) in person. You’d never have known though, it honestly felt like catching up with old friends. The Workforce & Education team are such an authentic, open bunch and spending the day with them reminded me how good it feels to belong. 💬✨

4 weeks in. Can you believe it?!

💻 From a virtual interview that felt right to a whirlwind of welcome, a pink chair, and getting stuck into something that really matters.

🧠 Every day’s a learning day: about physio students, about the CSP, about myself.

🤍 Students deserve support. Fair treatment. Someone who listens. I’m lucky enough to be that person for some of them already.

🌸 What’s next?
→ Running a session on advocacy for the regional student reps
→ Meeting my wider team in September
→ Soaking up all I can ahead of the CSP 2025 Student Conference

💬 Still so much to learn, but slowly feeling like myself again — just the newer, wiser version.

📍First visit to CSP HQ… and it’s official — I’ve started a brand new chapter! 💼✨

Last week I stepped through these doors as the Student Support Officer at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy… a brand new role dedicated to supporting physio students who experience bullying, discrimination, or harassment.

It brings together everything I love:
💬 Championing students
🧠 Drawing on my background in nursing and mental health
💛 Creating safer, more inclusive spaces in healthcare

I won’t be shouting too loudly just yet (still in induction mode!), but I will say this: it’s so refreshing to see a professional body investing in this kind of support. A role like this shouldn’t be rare, it should be the norm across professions.

To all the students: you matter from day one. And I’m here for you.
To everyone else: come along for the ride — I’ll be sharing reflections and insights as this role grows.

Let’s do this. 🌱

📍Hei from Helsinki! I’ve arrived in Finland for the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Congress 2025 🇫🇮✨

So excited to be here, connect with nurses from around the world, and grow my global network 🌍💬

🗓️ I’ll be presenting my e-poster this Friday 13th June, 13:15–14:15 (Station 2), in the session on Interprofessional and Intraprofessional Education.

📌 Poster title:
The Student Councils Programme: from pilot in South-East England to national adoption of shared professional decision-making councils

Can’t wait to share this work and learn from others doing incredible things in nursing leadership and education 💡👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️

💙 Proudly wearing my rosette this week as part of the campaign team who successfully lobbied for RCN members to rejoin the ICN. It’s an honour to be here, representing that collective effort 🌍🌟

Let me know if you’re around and fancy connecting – and follow along for updates throughout the week 👀

Thoughtful reflective LinkedIn work post incoming by next week but for now I wanted to dump a few pics on insta to document a lovely few days in Manchester 🐝

Uni of Salford presentation to Nursing & Midwifery Directorate ✅

Catch up with my pal ✅

Visit to Pennine Care HQ ✅

Day at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust’s conference where I enjoyed the sessions (including Michael West), manned the FNF stand talking to some bloody brilliant healthcare professionals, and delivered a talk on all things FNF ✅

Only two hours or so until I get home 😆🫶🏽

Our alumni are what make 🫶🏽 what a treat to get to spend a few hours with some of them this evening ❤️

I can finally say “I get it now” when our fabulous tell me about their RADA experience.

Thank you Kate, Ellie, Erica, Gill, Sam, Sarah, Ajinder, Emma & - 3 days I will never forget 🫶🏽

Breathe. Generosity. I am good enough.