Happy International Nurses' Day!
To mark International Nurses' Day, we’re delighted to celebrate the talented nurses who work at our Trust.
Our Chief Nurse Kathryn Halford has been visiting nursing teams at King George and Queen's hospitals to thank them for the vital role they play in the care we provide to all our patients.
Nearly 40 per cent of our workforce are nurses, nurse associates and healthcare assistants. Here are some reflections from three of them.
Paula, long serving nurse
I started working at BHRUT as a healthcare assistant in 1991 and this inspired me to become a nurse. I was determined to fulfil my dream and I qualified in 1999.
I still have the passion more than 30 years after I started here, have made some lifelong friends, and I am very proud to be a nurse.
I have never wanted to work anywhere else other than BHRUT that is why I have stayed for over 30 years!
Ray, international nurse
I qualified as a nurse in the Philippines in 2012. I moved to London to work as a nurse and have been working at BHRUT for five years.
I have been fully supported while working in a new country. It is a challenging job but I enjoy it. The best part of my job as a nurse is the rapport you build with your patients and colleagues.
I am learning the culture of the country while doing the job I love!
Adama, newly qualified nurse
Nurses’ day is really special this year because I am a now fully qualified nurse. I qualified as a nurse in November 2022 and I did my nurse training at London South Bank University.
What motivated me to be a nurse was knowing I was going to be doing a job which will impact people’s lives in a positive way.
International Day of the Midwife
On Friday 5 May we marked International Day of the Midwife by celebrating our amazing midwives and the invaluable role they play in supporting women, babies, and their families. throughout pregnancy and during childbirth. Around 7,000 babies are delivered at our Trust each year.
Some of our service users sent video messages, which have been collated below, to say thank you to our midwives.
One of those messages was from Sabrina, who said: "As somebody who has experienced childbirth first hand, I can't stress enough the importance of having skilled and competent, compassionate midwives by your side.
"As a black woman, I had such a positive experience and I had two midwives that looked like me, who understand my cultural values and my cultural background and I can't stress enough what an asset they were to both me and my partner during my labour. And they contributed to my positive birth experience."