The greatest reward of nursing for Joan Sands is seeing the positive impact her work has on overall health of the people supported by Turning Point Scotland.

Joan has worked for the social care charity for more than a decade and is currently the Lead Nurse at the Glasgow Alcohol and Drug Crisis Service.

As International Nurse Day is celebrated on 12 May, profiles of Turning Point Scotland’s staff have highlighted the vital contribution this profession has in delivering high-quality services.

Joan has also worked in public and private health during her three-decade career but the culture of care within Turning Point Scotland, towards the people the charity supports and staff, is the real difference she has experienced working in the third sector.

“At the Crisis Service some of the most vulnerable people in Glasgow come through the door. If it wasn’t for us and what we do at our service people would lose their lives,” she said.

“It is only 21 days but we see a massive change in the health of the people we support. That is the reward for me. We do see people come back but we are not going to stop supporting them.”

Joan’s first role at Turning Point Scotland was as a nurse at 218, a longstanding justice service for women, which was decommissioned in early 2024.

“I saw a job advertisement for 218, which was the first time I had heard of Turning Point Scotland. I thought the organisation had strong values, a sense of justice and inclusion,” she said.

“When I worked at 218, the people we supported were with us for six months. That might seem like a long time but it is precious time. People we support can feel like they report their story again and again but they aren’t really listened to.”

Joan has also worked at Turnaround, a residential and throughcare justice service that Turning Point Scotland provides for men, based in Renfrewshire.

“You learn what they really need and sometimes the experience of being at the service can be quite profound and the people you support remember you,” she said.

“Every action and communication is important. You might not think you have made a difference but actually you have made a really positive impact on someone’s life.”