M AGGIE MYERS was just four years old when the title "Little Nurse", was bestowed upon her, unbeknown to her that one day the little nurse would become a successful matron.

Maggie grew up on a farm near Bristol and her mother, who worked as midwife and district nurse, gave up her career to care for her four children. Maggie's twin brothers Bob and Bill arrived when she was four and Maggie adored the babies and immediately took them under her wing.

"I would spend all my time helping mum look after the boys and people started calling me the little nurse," she explained.

When Maggie left school at 17, she successfully applied to do a 20-month training course in orthopaedic nursing and although she loved nursing and completed her course, she decided to try her hand at other jobs to make sure that nursing wasn't just a passing phase which interested her.

She tried various jobs and found the thing that she loved most about each of the jobs she tried was that she really enjoyed having contact with the public and believes it was this early grounding that gave her the people skills, which she brings to her job today.

When she was 21, Maggie decided to broaden her horizons and moved to London to stay with an aunt who lived in Wandsworth. She got a job working in a shoe shop in Oxford Street and developed a love for shoes and handbags, which she still has today.

When she met her future husband, Stephen, Maggie realised that the nursing vocation was still beckoning her and decided to go back and do her general training. Because Maggie had been out of nursing for a number of years she had to study to gain, the additional O-levels required for entry to train as a State Registered Nurse. After completing her qualifications at night school, she embarked on a three-year general nursing course.

As soon as she qualified, Maggie found a job immediately at Barnet General Hospital on the female medical ward and described her first job as a "steep learning curve as a result of being dropped in at the deep end". Shortly after she started the job, the Sister on her ward went on long-term sick leave and Maggie was left in charge, mentoring junior staff, carrying out staff appraisals and the day-to-day running of the ward but she took it all in her stride.

During her nursing career, Maggie enjoyed family holidays with Stephen and their children, Harriet and George, in Weare Giffard and in 1991, she decided to move to North Devon so that the children could have a better quality of life.

She bought a lovely cottage in Kingscott and smiles as she recalls reading through the Deeds. "The cottage was originally called The Bird's Nest and I remember reading that a lady who lived in the cottage in 1947 was the matron of Torrington Hospital at that time, so maybe that was an omen for me then," she recalled.

Maggie worked part-time with clients who had challenging behaviour and fitted her work in with her number one priority. "The children were always my top priority so looking after the children and working part-time gave me the best of both worlds," she said.

Maggie moved to Swimbridge Nursing Home in 2001 and when the matron decided to retire Maggie was offered the job.

Both Maggie's children were at university and when she discussed the job offer with them, they told her to "go for it".

"Once again I was thrown in at the deep end but I was prepared to give it a go. The most important thing I learned at that time was how you can achieve anything by working hard and having a good team of people behind you. I had tremendous support from my boss and all the staff and as a result I was able to learn on the job," she said.

Although Maggie's forte was nursing, she soon became adept at training, implementing Government legislation, health and safety and all aspects of management.

When Solomon, Maggie's boss, decided to open another nursing home in Torrington he asked Maggie if she would lead the new unit and in June 2009 she took over the helm as matron at the newly built Hatchmoor Nursing Home. She absolutely adores her job and as well as running the day-to-day management of the nursing home, Maggie assesses potential clients before they become in-patients.

"The assessment process is probably one of the most important aspects of my job because each of our patients has individual needs," she said.

"I need to make sure we can accommodate their needs before we can put a care plan in place so that when they arrive they feel they have come to a safe, happy and caring environment and that they feel loved and cared for. When people leave their home and everything that is familiar to them it is almost like bereavement and it the job of the staff to make their transition the best they possibly can."

Maggie and her staff do their utmost to create a happy family environment for all their patients and the family and friends of the patients. "Quite often our new patients lose confidence in their new surroundings so it is vital that we build their self-esteem and reassure them that they are loved and cared for," she said.

As a successful matron at 57, Maggie is humble about her achievements. "It is the staff, patients and family and friends who visit Hatchmoor and support me in my job which make it easy. It would be impossible for me to do my job successfully without so much."