24 April 2026
"I refused to be defeated. My goal was clear; I needed to complete my studies and graduate alongside my cohort"
Maggie Bennett
An NHS worker who underwent treatment for stage 4 cancer while training to become a nurse at the University of Sunderland has officially qualified and returned to the NHS frontline.
Maggie Bennett, 55, from Hetton-le-Hole, has become a newly qualified Staff Nurse at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust after overcoming a series of life‑changing personal challenges.
Maggie first joined the NHS in 2009 after a long career in retail came to an end. While searching for a new direction, she discovered a role for Healthcare Assistants at South Tyneside District Hospital. It was a decision she says changed the course of her life.
Six months later, she secured a temporary post in the Emergency Department. She then moved to a permanent position on the Acute Stroke Unit at Sunderland Royal Hospital, where she worked from 2010 until January 2026.
It was during this time that Maggie set her sights on becoming a Registered Nurse through the University’s Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship. She secured a place in 2018, but just weeks later, major surgery forced her to defer.
She later began her apprenticeship in January 2021, proudly joining the cohort as its oldest student.
Her studies, however, were far from straightforward. In 2022, her middle daughter became an altruistic kidney donor and later chose to pursue a nursing career herself.
Eight months later, Maggie received a devastating call from her eldest daughter in Australia, who had been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.
Also, during her training, Maggie’s mum, who was already living with cancer received an additional two cancer diagnoses, she was aware of her achievement at university and sadly passed away in November 2025.
Maggie continued her studies throughout with support from the Trust’s Thrive counselling service.
In late 2024, Maggie began experiencing symptoms she believed were a virus. After urgent tests and referrals, she was diagnosed with stage 4B Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She began chemotherapy in early January 2025 at the Phoenix Unit, Sunderland Royal Hospital.
Despite undergoing intensive treatment, Maggie refused to give up on her dream. She completed her dissertation during chemotherapy and achieved a first.
Maggie joined the Nursing and Midwifery Council register on 12 May 2025, International Nurses Day, and graduated from the University two months later in July. She has since returned to the Emergency Department at Sunderland Royal Hospital as a newly qualified Staff Nurse.
Reflecting on her journey, Maggie said: “I refused to be defeated. My goal was clear; I needed to complete my studies and graduate alongside my cohort.
"No matter what challenges came my way, I was determined to finish what I started.
"I'm incredibly proud to now serve as a Staff Nurse and to give my patients the very best care I can.”
On the support received from the University, Maggie added: “The whole apprenticeship team went above and beyond to support me from the day I reached out and said I was not feeling well, right the way through to when I received my diagnosis.
“A special mention must go to my lecturer, Emma Bailey, who helped me 'stay on the same bus' as my cohort and go on to graduate.”
Sue Brent, Head of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of Sunderland, said: “Maggie’s journey is nothing short of inspirational. Her determination, resilience, and unwavering commitment to patient care, even during the most challenging personal circumstances, truly reflects the values of nursing and the strength of our apprentice community.
“We are incredibly proud of her achievement and honoured to have supported her through her studies.”
All Maggie’s treatment for the cancer was completed in June 2025, when she rang the bell and expressed her gratitude to the Phoenix Unit team.
Maggie said: “I feel a huge sense of gratitude for the opportunity to serve as a Staff Nurse, and I am determined in my mission to provide exceptional care and make a meaningful impact on my patients’ lives.”
For more information on studying the Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship at the University of Sunderland, click here.