Armed Forces Week: Nurse Christina Hayward's journey from the army to the NHS

How the army shaped my NHS career - Tissue Viability Specialist Nurse Christina Hayward

I was just six months qualified and planning my wedding to a Welsh Guardsman, there were four weeks to go, lots of last-minute jobs still to do, and I was excited for our big day. Then I got a call that changed everything.

In five days, I was being deployed to Strensall Barracks to begin pre-deployment training. We were heading to Iraq, supporting the first wave of the conflict.

I rang my fiancé in a panic. As a newly qualified nurse, I never really expected to end up in a war zone. I was scared, not just about what I’d face, but whether I was ready. I was in the final stages of my corporal leadership course but still felt very new, both as a nurse and as a leader.

My fiancé - calm, organised, and very much a soldier - sorted everything in three days. We were married at Pirbright Barracks Church where the padre, with military humour, opened with: “We all know why we are here - Tina will either come back with sunburn or chemical burns.”

It raised a laugh from the soldiers, but understandably didn’t go down as well with my mother.

Despite the whirlwind, it was a brilliant wedding. The Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) gave us a crate of champagne, there was Port on every table, someone was assigned to keep the jukebox fed with coins, and the Sergeants’ Mess put on a curry buffet, all for the princely sum of £40. It was perfect in its own military way.

"I learned fast. It was overwhelming at times, but an incredible experience - one that shaped who I am both as a soldier and a nurse. I wouldn’t be the clinician I am today without it."

After training, we were flown to Kuwait. We moved on to Shaibah Airfield, where we built a tented field hospital with 200 beds in 40-degree heat, with no running water. It was physically gruelling - possibly the best (and least recommended) diet I’ve ever done.

We treated all sorts, diarrhoea and vomiting from poor sanitation, and injuries from the local population caught in the crossfire.

I returned home after three months, only to be sent out again six months later for another six month tour. Then, when I finally came back, my husband was deployed for six months. In the first three years of our marriage we barely saw each other, but we made it work. We’re still going strong today with two beautiful boys.

Looking back, the military gave me confidence, resilience, and purpose. Even though my service wasn’t long, it gave me everything I needed to thrive in my NHS career. It helped me find out who I was and I carry that forward every single day in my role now.