From Knicker Factory to Clinical Nurse Specialist (Part 1)

This episode is a heartfelt conversation between Lisa and her mam, tracing her journey from leaving school at 15 with no qualifications to beginning her path in nursing.

What the episode covers

1. Growing up without academic confidence and leaving school early because of the system at the time.
2. Starting work at kayser bondor, the local knicker factory, where she learned about people, resilience, humour, and herself.
3. The vivid, funny stories of factory life — from learning to smoke for extra breaks to jamming knickers in machines
4. Realising she wanted more, and bravely applying to nursing despite dyslexia she didn’t yet know she had.
5. Becoming a pre‑nursing “daffodil”, working 9–5 on the wards, learning hands‑on skills, and discovering she was a practical learner.
6. Entering SEN training at 18, supported by mentors who recognised her strengths.
7. Rotating through wards across Merthyr General and St. Tydfil’s, building the foundation for the nurse she would become.

The episode is warm, funny, nostalgic, and deeply human — a mother sharing her story, and a daughter discovering the roots of her own positivity.