A HIGH achieving student, inspired by the care given to her dying grandfather, has realised her ambition to become a nurse.

Touched by the compassion shown by nurses who cared for her grandfather after he suffered a heart attack, Lisa Watson gave up her A-level studies in English, law and media to enrol on a health and social care course at Darlington College.

“I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do when I left school,” said Lisa, 19, who gained straight A grades at GCSE.

“I was more or less pushed into going to sixth form college to take my A-levels. After a year I knew that it wasn’t what I wanted so I applied for an apprenticeship in business and administration and began working in a call centre.”

Then in June 2012 Lisa’s grandfather, who had already had a stroke, suffered a major heart attack and was rushed to hospital.

“My granddad was in hospital for a week before he died,” said Lisa.

“I saw the way that the nurses looked after him and the way they cared for my family – they were so patient and compassionate.

“I knew then that’s what I wanted to do; to have a job where you could make a difference and something that people really appreciated.”

Lisa finished her apprenticeship in July and enrolled at Darlington College to study Health and Social Care.

She completed her two year course gaining a triple distinction the equivalent to 2 A* A-levels and will now study nursing at Liverpool John Moores University.

“I couldn’t have wished for anything better,” she said.

“I’ve chosen to specialise in geriatric care and hopefully I can give back to people what the nurses that inspired me gave to my family.”