As findings from a Royal College of Nursing report are announced that working in an understaffed NHS is leaving nurses sick and “broken”, a businesswoman from Birmingham who struggled with nursing burnout, overwork and feeling undervalued, is celebrating the launch of her new business, a mentoring service that helps nurses and caring professionals turn their skills into purpose-led social enterprises.

Official NHS figures for June – the most recent available – show workforce shortages are causing nightmares and panic attacks, while nurses feel forced to keep working when they are ill. Danielle Maynard, 45, is on a mission to change the narrative for nurses who want more than the traditional career path offers them – and is offering a way out.

Launching with mentoring packages, 1:1 support and CIC resources to help nurses find clarity or to start something new, Danielle is here to help other nurses who are suffering like she did from working non stop shift after shift in the NHS just to keep up with her finances. After 12 years as a Community Nurse, Health Visitor, Health and Wellbeing Officer, and Specialist Nurse for Children in Care, she felt like the system was breaking her. Patient lists were getting longer, visits were rushed, and there was little room for progression, especially as she rarely saw people who looked like her in senior or leadership roles.

When she looked for alternatives, she saw nurses moving into aesthetics, injecting Botox and fillers, but that wasn’t for her. She wanted to keep caring, just in a different way. That’s when she discovered Community Interest Companies (CICs), but found the process confusing and isolating, with people gatekeeping the information, but determined, she figured it out herself.

Using business, sales, and marketing training, Danielle launched her own CIC focused on improving the well-being of young girls. In 18 months, she’d secured over £65,000 in funding, including being funded by The National Lottery twice. Her CIC was recognised as a finalist in both the Midlands StartUp Awards and the Female Business Awards, has been featured in the press, and now employs staff whilst running a growing weekly girls’ club.

Danielle is now helping other nurses do the same, but making the process easier. She works with nurses and caring professionals who feel called to do more, the ones with big hearts, big ideas, and a desire to create change, but who feel stuck or unsure where to begin. She gives them the tools, guidance, and confidence to bring their ideas to life and make an impact while being paid their worth.

The need for this support is clear. Between 2021 and 2024, the number of UK-educated nursing staff leaving the register in England increased by 43% for those within 10 years of registering. More than 34,000 nurses left NHS roles in England in one 12-month period, with two-thirds of those under the age of 45. Meanwhile, the UK CIC sector continues to grow, with 7,230 new CICs incorporated in 2023-24, a 16% rise from the previous year.

Danielle said, “It honestly breaks my heart to see so many brilliant, passionate nurses being bullied, burnt out, or discriminated against, especially when we are the backbone of the NHS. We are made to feel guilty for wanting more simply because we’re in a ‘caring profession.’ We’re often told it’s a vocation, not a career, but I stand by the message that you’re more than a nurse.”

“We’re leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers. We’re degree-trained, highly skilled professionals with empathy, compassion, resilience, and critical thinking that’s needed far beyond the hospital walls. It’s needed in leadership, business, and social change.”

“I want nurses to know that they can still care in new, impactful ways. By building their own projects and Community Interest Companies, they can reach more people, create lasting change, and finally be valued both emotionally and financially for the difference they make.”

Danielle’s personal journey has shaped her business philosophy. Having experienced firsthand how the NHS system can leave even the most passionate nurses feeling voiceless and burnt out, she’s determined to show there’s another path beyond the traditional band progression or the aesthetic route that so many nurses are pushed towards.

“I want to change the narrative and push more nurse-led CICs,” Danielle shared. “A lot of nurses have ideas that could change lives, but they don’t always know how to start. I guide them step-by-step to set up Community Interest Companies, access funding, and build something that creates impact and pays them their worth.”

“My key message is that you don’t have to stay stuck in a system that undervalues you. You can still care, just in different ways, through projects, community programmes, workshops and initiatives that reflect your passion and purpose. You can create real impact and be paid your worth while doing it.”

Looking ahead, Danielle plans to launch a ‘more than a nurse’ membership where nurses can access training, resources, and ongoing support to start and grow their own business ventures. She’s also planning face-to-face workshops and networking events for ‘nursepreneurs’ that bring nurses together to network, collaborate, and build community-led projects.

“That’s why I do what I do,” said Danielle, who is also a mum to a 20-year-old daughter. “To make it easier for nurses to turn their compassion into something sustainable, funded, and fulfilling. Ultimately, I want to change the narrative of what’s possible for nurses. You’re more than a nurse. You’re leaders, innovators, and changemakers.”

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