Terri Sullivan
                                             Nursing Unit Manager

                                             Terri grew up in a working-class
                                             family with an older sister and
                                             brother. Her father John is a devout
                                             Catholic and a terrible and abusive
                                             drunk. When Terri was a child he
                                             would go to the pub most nights,
                                             come home, lay into his wife and
                                             kids and then visit church on
                                             Sundays for Christ to absolve his
                                             sins. To the outside world, John
                                             was a good man: hard-working,
                                             loved his family and his church and
                                             could sing a great tune after a few
                                             beers. Very few people knew he
                                             was a bastard at home and the
                                             family kept it that way - well, it was
                                             nicer, and they had community
                                             standing. Terri's mother's
                                             self-esteem had disappeared long
                                             before Terri was born. She took on
                                             the martyr role of a good Catholic
                                             wife. Although this disheartened
                                             Terri and her siblings, Terri found
                                             strength in her mother's sacrifice
                                             and helped her any way she could.
                                             But the only positive role models in
                                             Terri's life were the order of nuns
                                             who ran her school.

                                             Terri feared the deep emotions
                                             stirred in her during puberty. She
                                             had seen her older sister's
                                             rebellious promiscuity, which
                                             ultimately trapped her in a loveless
                                             and abusive relationship. This
                                             confusion and the daunting fear
                                             that she would end up like her
                                             mother and sister propelled Terri
                                             towards a religious order. Terri was
                                             drawn to nursing because she
                                             cared.

                                             She trained in the hospital system,
                                             went on to do her midwifery and
                                             psychiatric nursing training and
                                             gained valuable experience in
                                             these fields. Her ability as a nurse
                                             and her good social skills had her
                                             promoted through the ranks
                                             quickly. She saw the writing on the
                                             wall as far as tertiary education
                                             was concerned and when she
                                             graduated, with a Degree in
                                             Business Management, her
                                             position as Charge Sister, later
                                             NUM, was cemented.

                                             The hospital and, specifically, the
                                             ward are her life. She works harder
                                             and longer than anyone else and
                                             often returns in the evening, or at
                                             weekends, to see her patients.
                                             This makes her resented by some
                                             other staff members, as they think
                                             she is checking up on them. But if
                                             you work on Terri's ward you have
                                             to accept it. And she is not
                                             snooping, she is caring. She feels
                                             it is the only time she can do
                                             hands-on nursing. Terri's
                                             philosophy is that she won't ask
                                             anyone to do anything she can't do
                                             herself. She gets involved with
                                             anything to do with the hospital.
                                             Terri is mature, enigmatic and
                                             deeply compassionate. Full of soul
                                             and spirituality, dignity and
                                             distance. But everyone knows
                                             there is a heart pumping warm
                                             blood around her body.

                                             Terri evokes strong emotions in
                                             people - she is either loved and
                                             revered or hated and resented.
                                             And, of course, there is always the
                                             conundrum - why would such a
                                             vital, vivacious woman stay in a
                                             seemingly archaic religious order?
                                             On the outside, Terri presents as a
                                             person who has life sewn up - the
                                             world according to Terri. Inside,
                                             she is just as full of doubts and
                                             fears as anyone. Her intellect and
                                             emotions are constantly at war.
 
 

Taken from the seven website