Manx Care has paid tribute to Amanda Dawson, Lead Nurse for Integrated Sexual Health Services, as she retires after a trailblazing 50-year career.
Colleagues gathered this week to honour her contributions to sexual health nursing on the Isle of Man.
Amanda began her career at Bradford Royal Infirmary before training in Jersey. After moving to the Island in 1996, she worked as an agency nurse before becoming the Isle of Man’s first dedicated Sexual Health Nurse in 2000.
“It wasn’t a job many people wanted to do because of the stigma surrounding sexually transmitted infections at that time,” Amanda recalled.
“The service was very low-key, and we ran two clinics per week at the old Noble’s Hospital on Westmoreland Road.”
Just weeks into her role, the island faced an HIV outbreak.
With support from Dr Mandal and a specialist nurse from Liverpool, Amanda led contact tracing and helpline efforts.
Under her leadership, the service expanded to include contraception, health education, and the Sexual Assault Referral Centre.
Amanda, who earned a first-class degree in Health Studies and pioneered Non-Medical Prescribing training on the island, said she hopes to be remembered as a “good Nurse.”
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