Sometimes she wondered if she was in the wrong job – but never seriously thought she could swap roles.

Now, more than a decade later, Ann's inspiring determination has made her dream come true.

She has made the change and worked her way from being a carer to the nursing career she longed for.

The grandmother, who used to provide the patients' meals at St Nicholas Hospice, in Bury St Edmunds, has just started there as a registered nurse.

And she has told her story to encourage others never to give up on a goal that is really important to them.

Ann, from Great Cornard, said: "When I first started at St Nicholas I didn't know it was such a special place.

"But going round delivering patients' meals, and talking to them, I got to hear their comments about the wonderful attention they received from all the staff and volunteers.

"I could appreciate for myself the high standard of care and I admired the nurses and felt a little bit envious of their role.

"I wondered if I might be in the wrong job, but never felt that I would be able to do what they did."

In 1995 Ann left to have another baby. Her son had special needs and looking after him was demanding.

"I returned to working in a kitchen part-time, but it didn't feel right.

"I saw an ad for mobile carers and that is how I had my first experience of looking after other people.

"The sense of satisfaction was there right from the start, and I progressed from that to the huge challenge of looking after elderly patients with mental health problems in a nursing home.

"This was a completely different and demanding environment but I gained my NVQ levels 2 and 3 and became a senior carer for two years – the highest level I could achieve."

But Ann still wanted a career with more nursing care so she moved to Walnuttree Hospital in Sudbury, where she got a nursing assistant qualification.

Then she was offered the chance to train as a registered nurse at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury.

"Although I enjoyed being on the hospital wards and gained a great deal of experience, the nursing there was not the right fit for me.

"In the last year you had to choose a three-month placement and I chose St Nicholas Hospice – along with everyone else in my group.

"There was only one place and I could not believe my luck when I got it. I felt it was fate.

"It only increased my desire to work at the hospice even more – even though I knew it might be difficult to get a position as there are never many nursing vacancies."

After qualifying, Ann worked on a ward at the West Suffolk, but knew it was not really where she wanted to be.

She applied to be a "bank" nurse at the hospice, even though it meant only occasional work as a nursing assistant.

Finally, a registered nurse post came up, and she got the job she always wanted.

"Bringing up a family, studying for exams and becoming a grandmother hasn't been easy," she said.

"But I hope I can show other people that if your goal is really important to you, you will achieve it.

"It gives me so much satisfaction to be working here, to be part of the team.

"The staff and volunteers are wonderfully supportive to the patients and to each other and now I am part of it all and it feels great."

* St Nicholas Hospice relies on donations from the community to provide care and comfort to people with a terminal illness, and support for their family, friends and carers.

Their service is provided free, but running costs are over £3 million a year, with only a quarter coming from government.