A “one off” community nurse described as “a fantastic asset to the NHS” is celebrating 50 years in the job. Erika Slater, 67, who works with young onset dementia patients in the Stockport area is described by one of her patients as “the most kind, caring nurse I could have ever asked for”.
Music loving Erika, who lives in Macclesfield, was brought up in Moss Side before moving to Cheshire as a teenager. The mother of three, who has five grandsons, left school with no qualifications before starting her training as a nurse cadet in December 1974.
Her first job was in a factory, but nursing came soon after
She said: “When I left school I worked in a factory making light bulbs. The reason I started nursing was that I was visiting A&E and I looked at the nurses and thought ‘I could do that’.”
She trained at Parkside psychiatric hospital in Macclesfield before moving south to Kent and East Sussex. She later worked in Buxton as a ward manager and then spent 10 years in Tameside as a nurse manager.
“I wanted to go back to clinical, I didn’t enjoy management. “I started in Stockport in 2008 as a community psychiatric nurse for Pennine Care NHS trust and have been here ever since.
Now she works with young people with dementia
“I work with young people who have got dementia, developing symptoms in their 40s and early 50s. “It’s quite devastating to be given a diagnosis of dementia because you’re being told you’re going to get worse and there’s no cure but I find I get the greatest joy from working with people and showing them you can live well with dementia.
“The greatest gift is putting a smile on people’s faces and encouraging people to see the positives in life. “I tell them don’t put off what you can do today – live your life now, none of us know what’s round the corner.
“It’s no good having money in the bank, I say go on your holidays, get that new bathroom, live your life.” Erika said although many of her patients are in crisis there are often funny and joyful moments.
“I recently went to see a patient, his wife was in the kitchen making me a coffee, she said. “Music came on the radio that he liked so he started dancing so I joined him.
Music is one of her passions
“When I went to sit down I missed the sofa and ended up flat on my back and their dog, a big heavy bull terrier jumped on top of me licking my face. “I’m shouting to the wife ‘help, help’ and the man was laughing his socks off.
“She came in – looked at me on my back and said ‘so this our new nurse is it’?” Erika’s passion is music and she regularly attends live shows.
She said “Recently I’ve seen Blossoms twice, Scouting For Girls and Embrace and I went to Europe to see Depeche Mode. “I also like trance, techno and disco. I can do the big fish little fish dance.”
Her fashion sense is famous among her dementia patients
Erika is also well known for her fashion, in particular her trademark headwear.
“I have 20 berets which go with whatever I’m wearing and in the summer I change to headbands, I’ve got about 30 of them,” she said. “I started wearing them because I used to be a goth so I’d knock on patients’ doors with my beret, white face, black lips and heavy eyeliner.”
As for her half-a-century as a nurse, Erika says she has got plans to retire, just not yet. She said: “I was going to retire on December 1 because that would have been 50 years as a nurse but I don’t feel ready yet.
“I’ve set a new date now, August 1, 2027 because I will turn 70 in that month.”
She has worked as nurse for the NHS for 50 years
Erika also gave her thoughts on the current state of the NHS.
“I think the NHS is a marvellous gift for our communities,” she said. “Yes there’s many changes, funding problems, but it’s still going. “It started out to help people and I firmly believe we still help people.
“If you’re a good nurse you always do your best within the means that you’ve got.” The affection and esteem Erika is held in is clear when speaking to her colleagues and patients.
Yvie, a carer for her husband with young onset dementia, said: “Erika has been an amazing, fun and valued support for my husband Jon. “They connected so well over their love of music.
“She is a fantastic asset to the NHS with a wide depth of knowledge.” Hilary, a patient with dementia who has known Erika 11 years, said: “She is the most kind, caring nurse I could have ever asked for.
“She is so funny and makes me laugh all the time. “She’s done everything she’s possibly could for me and knows me inside out.
“She will keep working because she loves her job – well she must love it to have been doing it for 50 years. “We won’t get another like her.”
Claire Mengell, a fellow community psychiatric nurse, said: “Erika is a one off.
“She is dedicated to her work and the nursing profession and lights up a room.
“There is no doubt she will continue nursing until the end of time because she loves it. “She is a credit to the profession.”
Original press release by Chris Gee
