We’re very proud of our partnership with Alder Hey Children’s Charity and this year we're helping to create happy and comforting spaces around the hospital to support patient families and their incredible staff.

At Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, no two days are the same – especially on their High Dependency Unit (HDU), where the most vulnerable children receive critical care and close monitoring. For Ellie Jackson, a dedicated HDU nurse, each shift brings a new mix of patients, challenges, and human moments. From monitoring a baby born with a congenital heart condition to helping a teenager with complex needs transition to adult services, Ellie’s role is as varied as it is vital.

“I can be looking after a baby weighing just 600 grams in the morning, and by the afternoon, I’m caring for an 18-year-old with long-term complex health needs. Every day really is different.”

On HDU, a common standard ratio is two patients to one nurse, reflecting the high level of care these brave young patients require. Ellie and her colleagues also provide step-down care for children recovering from intensive interventions in ICU, particularly after cardiac surgeries. “If a child’s in a cubicle, on ventilation, or at risk of deterioration, we move to one-to-one care immediately,” Ellie explains. “We need to keep a close eye on them. You can’t be elsewhere with another patient and still monitor them effectively.”

Patients on the ward range from short-stay cases – children with bronchiolitis who may only need a few days on non-invasive ventilation – to long-term cardiac patients who can be with the team for months. “We had a little baby who stayed with us from birth until just before his first birthday. Watching him go home for Christmas was one of those moments you never forget.”

Originally from St Helens in Merseyside, Ellie trained at the University of Manchester. Her final year of university, however, collided with the outbreak of COVID-19.

“I was on placement in Wigan when we got an email telling us not to come back the next day. That night, Boris Johnson announced lockdown. It was so surreal.”

With dissertation work unfinished and final placements on hold, Ellie and her cohort were fast-tracked into the NHS workforce as Band 4 aspirant nurses, stepping up to treat vulnerable patients who were badly affected by COVID. Ellie had already accepted a position in paediatric ICU in Manchester, so she turned up to start early - only to find the unit had been temporarily repurposed to treat adult patients.

“Looking back now, it’s hard to make sense of. But being a nurse means you care, regardless of someone’s age or condition. That core value doesn't change.

“It was daunting, but there was this overwhelming sense that we all had to just pull together and do what needed to be done. You didn’t really think about it at the time – you just kept going.”

Despite the intense and unexpected start to her career, Ellie stayed in Manchester for three and a half years, gaining experience in both HDU and ICU. Then, looking for a new challenge and to develop her career, she made the move to Alder Hey.

“At Alder Hey, I’ve learned so much about the nursing interventions involved in complex heart conditions. It’s completely expanded my skills.”

At Alder Hey, Ellie has become a key part of the HDU staff. The unit is fast-paced, unpredictable, and emotionally demanding – but for Ellie, it’s exactly where she wants to be.

When asked what being a nurse means to her, Ellie doesn’t hesitate.

“I don’t think nursing is ever just a job. People say you should leave work at work, but your brain is constantly switched on. Especially with our long-term patients, you wonder how they’ve done overnight, how their families are coping. You carry them with you.”

It’s this sense of deep care that defines not just Ellie’s work, but the whole ethos of Alder Hey’s critical care team.

“You build strong relationships with the families as well as the children,” Ellie says. “They become part of your life. You don’t just clock off at the end of the shift – you carry that care with you.”

This International Nurses Day, we celebrate Ellie – and all the incredible nurses like her – for their skill, their strength, and the heart they bring to work every single day.

From everyone at Alder Hey and Horlicks - Happy International Nurses Day.