Cheryl Chessum
Cheryl started her nursing career with registration as a learning disability nurse, something that has proved invaluable to helping her work with people with a dual diagnosis – mental health and learning difficulties or with families where a member has a learning difficulty.
She then went on to complete Registered Mental Nurse training and decided to specialise for a period in working with older adults. This enabled her to take on a leadership role in day-care services to adults with both organic and functional illnesses in later life. The facilitation/delivery of support for carers was key to this role.
Here began the permanent transition into community nursing with many additional periods of personal and academic development until she began a lecturer/practitioner role at Birmingham City University 14 years ago combining clinical practice with being pathway lead for community mental health nursing.