Meet Lucy Turnell, our college Nurse and Welfare Officer

Lucy Turnell joined Selwyn in 2021 as the college’s full-time, year-round nurse. The post, which had recently been significantly extended, was only made possible thanks to generous support from Fellow Benefactors Christina and Peter Dawson. Prior to supporting the post of nurse, Christina and Peter had already endowed the Dawson Fund at the college. This enables current Selwyn members to be given immediate and specialist help on a range of mental health issues that might require prompt action.

We talked to Lucy about what being the nurse at Selwyn entails and how she fits into the wider college welfare team.  

Tell us a bit about who you are.

I originally studied History of Art before deciding to pursue a career in nursing. While at university, I volunteered with the Riding for the Disabled Association, which inspired me to get into nursing.

I did my initial training at St George’s Hospital in London, where I realised I wanted to specialise as a midwife. So I completed my midwifery training at Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge and I worked there as a midwife for eight years, which I absolutely loved.

When I had children, I transitioned to practice nursing, which allowed me to care for the entire community, from babies to grandparents. Over the years, I’ve also worked as a school nurse and a health visitor, completing a specialist community public health nursing qualification along the way. I particularly enjoyed working with families and young children as a health visitor, though the role focused heavily on mental health and support work. To refresh my clinical skills, most recently, I returned to general practice nursing.

When this role at Selwyn was advertised, it immediately clicked with me. It would allow me to use my public health nursing skills and tap into my knowledge of physical healthcare and mental health support. It seemed like the best possible next step — and now it feels like my dream job! 

What does a day in your life look like at Selwyn?

Most of my day at Selwyn is spent on one-to-one student support. This often involves listening to their concerns, helping them create schedules that incorporate balance and working with them to decide the best course of action. This might mean signposting them to college or university resources, community services like GPs or sexual health clinics, or even local charities.

Having a medical background enables me to manage issues, like sports injuries, that might otherwise require a GP visit or trip to A&E. Being able to address these quickly and in-college, I save students time and reduce strain on external healthcare services. I find that sometimes, simply knowing there’s someone on-site to check in on them daily helps students feel supported enough to stay in college rather than needing to go home, provided it’s safe for them to do so.

The rest of my time involves planning events to foster a sense of community and belonging. For instance, we organise weekly “Tea at 3” for students and yoga sessions. We try different initiatives, seeing what works, and tweaking them as needed to strengthen college life.  

You handle two roles at Selwyn: nurse and wellbeing officer. How does this change your approach?

For me, these roles naturally align. My background in public health nursing and health visiting has shaped my holistic approach to healthcare. I see it as interconnected, with a focus on laying strong foundations for overall well-being.

My approach to achieving this is being proactive and preventative — anticipating needs rather than reacting to crises. I collaborate closely with Mike Sewell and Arabella Milbank Robinson (Chaplain), and together we manage welfare and well-being as a team. Early intervention is particularly important, as it allows us to address issues before they escalate. This integrated approach has been a great fit for Selwyn, benefiting both the students and the college community as a whole.

You also work closely with the college tutors. What does your work with them involve? 

I work closely with the college tutors to support students, which is one of the benefits of the full-time role. In my first Michaelmas term, in 2022, I started inviting all freshers for a quick appointment to introduce myself, show them where I am, and reassure them I’m not scary. Now, that first cohort are third years, and I’ve had the pleasure of meeting all the undergraduates during their time here. It’s been a lovely way to build connections and foster a sense of familiarity and trust.

So when it comes to supporting them, as a nurse rather than an academic, I like to think that I bring a different perspective to understanding what a student may be going through and it allows us, as the welfare team, to piece together a more complete picture of the situation and provide well-rounded support. By working together and maintaining good communication, we try to ensure the safest and most effective support, addressing all aspects of a student’s life at College. There are students I see weekly and others I see daily during particularly stressful periods, such as exams. This helps to alleviate some of the burden on tutors, especially when they are busy with marking and other academic responsibilities.

We're really fortunate to be able to work with Lucy. Providing access to a dedicated College Nurse as well as to a personal tutor means that we're able to work together to provide the best and fullest support for our students. It also gives the students two different people with different roles and expertise to speak to, depending on the nature of their issue and the help and advice that might be required. I think we make a good team!

Dr Lotte Reinbold
Fellow and College tutor on collaborating with Lucy on the welfare team

How would you describe your part in the college community overall outside the students?

I see myself as a first port of call for Fellows and staff too. While the majority of my work focuses on students, I’m always happy to support the wider college community with advice within my role. 

One of the things I love about this job is its variety — it’s never boring! I’ve been at Selwyn for nearly three years now, and there’s so much I enjoy about being here. Every day, I look around at this beautiful setting, whether it’s the cedar tree outside my window or the squirrels darting about, and I feel lucky to work here. To put that into perspective, in my previous role as a practice nurse, my surgery window faced a red brick wall. I didn’t even know what time of day it was!

The college community, including the staff, Fellows, and students, has been a joy to get to know. Everyone is so friendly, and as I mentioned, I’ve particularly enjoyed working with our students — they’re a really special group.

If you would like to get in touch with Lucy, you can email her at nurse@sel.cam.ac.uk. 

Her normal hours are Monday – Friday, 9 am to 5pm. However, she has some flexibility, so if you need a later or earlier appointment, please discuss this with Lucy.

If you need to see Lucy urgently, please contact the porters who will be able to phone her.