What happens when a nurse steps into one of the most extreme workplaces on Earth? When Leading Naval Nurse Abigail Wright joined the Royal Navy in September 2020, she probably did not expect to make history only a few years later. At 33, she is now the first dedicated mental health nurse assigned to the Royal Navy Submarine Service. She was also named Woman of the Year 2025 at the Women in Defence UK Awards for her work supporting submariners and improving conditions for women in defence.
Wright’s groundbreaking role is not just about a title. It reflects the real difference she is making for service members who spend months living in one of the most demanding environments in the military. Submariners work for long periods underwater with no fresh air, limited contact with home, no daylight and food supplies that often shift to long-term stores after the first few weeks. Wright describes these conditions as causing what she calls “adjustment reactions,” which essentially means the environment itself can affect mental health in very specific ways.
Underwater and Under Pressure: The Challenges Submariners Face
Wright explains that submariners live in circumstances that most people will never experience. She says, “You are under the water, there is no daylight, your fresh food runs out pretty quickly. There is little contact with home, just one-way transmissions called familygrams, which are as short as a tweet, for 100 or maybe 200 days.” These conditions create stress that can be difficult to understand from the outside.
To better support the crews she serves, Wright completed specialist training that allowed her to embark on short submarine trips herself. She is the first naval nurse to ever serve aboard a submarine. Experiencing life underwater gave her a deeper insight into what submariners face on a daily basis. It is the nursing version of walking a mile in someone’s shoes, or in this case, swimming a mile in their world.
Her work also extends to helping submariners reintegrate when they return home. Transitioning from a controlled and isolated underwater environment back into family life can be overwhelming. Wright has developed reintegration programs to support service members as they adjust to noise, routine changes and renewed responsibilities on land.
Although her primary role focuses on mental health, Wright has become a strong advocate for women in the Royal Navy. It remains a male-dominated environment where women make up only 6 percent of the Submarine Service and 10 percent of the Royal Navy overall, according to Forces News. Wright says, “A lot of my work in Faslane, in my spare time, was to improve the experience of women.” She has pushed for policy changes, helped organize Faslane’s first International Women’s Day event and worked to ensure women feel supported in a space that was not originally designed for them.
She explains, “It is so important as we face challenges that perhaps men do not. If we do not make changes to improve things for women, recruitment and retention will not get better.” Wright’s dedication to this cause is helping create long-term cultural change and supporting the next generation of women who enter military service.
Wright’s work has earned significant recognition. At the 10th anniversary Women in Defence UK Awards, she received the Outstanding Contribution Award before being named Woman of the Year 2025. She recalls the moment with surprise, saying, “One of my friends who was with me caught my reaction on video and it is pure shock.” The award was presented by Rear Admiral Jude Terry, the Royal Navy’s Director of People and Training and the first woman to hold that rank. Wright says it was “extra special to get it from her.”
Her recognition highlights the increasing understanding of mental health needs in specialized military environments and shows how nursing skills can adapt to even the most extreme conditions.
Setting the Standard for Mental Health Support
The Submarine Service is physically and mentally demanding, and Wright has shown that mental health support is a critical part of operational readiness. She has set a precedent as the first nurse to work aboard a submarine, built reintegration programs for returning crews and advocated for improved conditions for women.
Wright’s work is not only groundbreaking for the Royal Navy. It is a reminder of the essential role nurses play in supporting mental health across all environments. Whether in a hospital ward, a community clinic or hundreds of feet beneath the ocean’s surface, nurses like Wright show that caring for others has no boundaries.
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