No it's not a simulation - Angela Hope really has retired!

Among those to wave her off was consultant Andy Lockey, pictured third right,  - the man responsible for getting Angela back to CHFT three years ago.

Andy, said: "Angela is without doubt my best appointment. Over the last three years, she has put the Trust on the national map as an exemplar for skills and simulation delivery. She will be greatly missed!"

Angela, our Trust Lead Skills and Simulation at CHFT also had a bouquet of flowers delivered by former colleague and now florist Susan Uttley who trained with Angela.

Here she talks of her time at the Trust:

"As a mature entrant at 34, I had already had my family and was widowed at 20. I didn’t work until my boys all went to secondary school. By that time I had remarried and my husband said just do whatever you want to do. So, I originally started as a student nurse at Calderdale School of Nursing in the May 1988, completing in 1991.

"My first post on qualification was as a Junior Staff Nurse on King Ward, Northowram Hospital. I always, from day one as a student nurse, knew my interest was education, and quickly booked my Diploma course place and plotted my academic and clinical career.  I took the opportunity to relocate to Halifax General Hospital,  rising to Senior Ward Sister based on old ward 9, transferring to ward 5ab in the current Calderdale Royal Hospital as we made the transition. Within this period I gained my BSc and MSc giving me registration as a Nurse Teacher.

"I transferred to Ward 6c for a six month period, specifically to take that area through accreditation as gaining Practice Development Status becoming the first award winners of Celebrating Success. I was then part seconded into a one year dual role as Lecturer/Practitioner at The University of Huddersfield, working in Corporate with Dianne Lewis in my trust role, gaining a permanent role as a Senior Lecturer in Adult Nursing in 2002.

"It was in this role I achieved my dream of writing and publishing, gaining the post of Practice and Skills Co-ordinator taking the lead on Simulated Learning in Nursing. I gained accreditation as a Teaching Fellow for the Higher Education Academy of the UK. At this time I commenced my role and passion with Yorkshire and Humber Regional Clinical Skills and Simulation Network culminating in taking the chair in 2016.

"In 2013 I took the opportunity to work as the Academic Lead in Simulated Learning as a Senior Lecturer at The University of Wollongong, Australia, actually emigrating with permanent residency but struggled to settle and returned to the UK in 2015 thinking I would retire!! Obviously this did not last long and I secured the Trust Lead post in CS & Simulation in 2016 and delayed that thought for a while, I so owe Andy Lockey for the best job of my career!!.

"Highlights of my career are numerous, passing the DNC entrance into Nursing exam has to be the best, without it I would not have had so many amazing experiences. Presenting at conferences in Toronto, Washington, Florida, keynoting at Surfers' Paradise on the Gold Coast, in Australia. My other highlights include:

• Working with Caren Reid, she has amazing skills.
• Being awarded International Educator in Simulation 2011
• Gaining my first publication, and my most recent in this current post but also I gain so much satisfaction from nurturing others and seeing them succeed.
• Working with so many lovely, great people

We asked Angela for any funny moments...

"Again, so many!! One of the funniest recently was whilst we were undertaking the ASCME course. Whilst Dr Alex Hashimi was briefing the afternoon session, I dressed myself in a coat and hat and fell into the Sim Suite as a confused elderly lady with a ticket for the Panto at the Royal at Huddersfield. I asked Alex to help me as I was lost and he was so helpful whilst in disbelief!! While Caren videoed it Alex was so embarrassed."

What do you plan to do in your retirement?

Angela plans to travel, especially to Lanzarote, for extended periods. She'll be spending time with her husband who has supported her over 30 years of continued studying, waiting patiently for her to retire.  She's looking forward to spending time with her three boys and grandchildren who have also been very patient .

So when she played with dolls when she was younger did she ever think you’d end up in nursing?

"Actually I didn’t, I always wanted to be a teacher. I had lots of dolls though and I used to make clothes for them, strangely enough it was always old fashioned Spanish clothes I think I lived a previous life in Spain."