From Chelsea pensioners to the vaccine taskforce: becoming a military nurse in a pandemic
Graduating from a Nursing degree in a global pandemic and keeping up with military training can be daunting, but Corporal Pen Carless was ready for the challenge. Now, she’s giving vaccines to priority groups.
Pen was initially worried she’d be indoors in a hospital after becoming a nurse, but so far has been deployed across the country and has an exciting future ahead of her. She works in a group of 6, deployed to different locations to give vaccines. They are there to support the NHS, vaccinating either alongside NHS staff or with other military medics.
She’s been inspired by people’s resilience: many of those coming for the vaccine have not left their houses since March last year.
A few weeks before Christmas, Pen deployed to Royal Hospital Chelsea to support Chelsea pensioners on a COVID-19 ward. Pen found being a nurse to ex-service COVID-19 patients a rewarding experience, able to talk to incredible men and women from a range of trades and careers.
It was after 4 and a half years as a RAF medic that Pen realised she wanted more time with patients, to be a part of their journey and stay with them beyond the initial injury. With this ideal of relationship building, she started a Nursing degree at Birmingham City University.
Going through university with the military, Pen lived in Barracks and kept up with her fitness and military training. She even went to Cyprus to shadow Search and Rescue medics with 84 Squadron. She has the same qualifications as any civilian nurse, but has military training and a wide range of jobs open to her.
Becoming a RAF medic requires 6 months of intense training after completing Basic Training. This training gives a similar level of knowledge as an ambulance technician. Coming from a medical family — her mother a semi-retired speech and language therapist, her sister a nurse — Penny loved being a medic and now a nurse.
Pen’s wife also serves in the RAF as a Flight Operation Manager. They met in the service in 2016 and were married last year. They also have a dog called Loki.
