Tell us about how you got into the nursing profession.
When I was at school, I wanted to be a doctor – as did my dad who worked as a health inspector – but when it came to it, nursing felt like my passion at the time. I started my nursing in 1994 and qualified in 1998. It was always my dream to work in intensive care, and that’s how my career started.
I have always wanted to know more about health and treatment; I want to see people recovering and going home after receiving treatment.
We’d love to hear more about your nursing background and some of your previous roles.
I came to the UK in 2001 as an adaptation nurse, working in a nursing home for nine months before going into an intensive care unit (ICU) in London.
In 2013 I moved to another role in a hyperacute stroke unit (HASU) and after two years there I still wanted to explore more challenging roles, so I became a critical care outreach practitioner.
I came to Wales in 2017 and got my Master’s. I’m now an advanced nurse practitioner and independent prescriber.
I achieved top level in clinical – that’s what I prefer – and have received a lot of awards for outstanding contribution for the work I did during the COVID pandemic. I want to focus on something else to go alongside my job, so I helped with setting up work in my health board and I helped back home during the pandemic and got a lifetime achievement award in India. I’m the regional lead for the British Indian Nurses Association (BINA) and I want to help people network and gain knowledge. I’m very happy in the nursing profession.
What attracted you to your secondment role of inclusion and diversity manager and what do you hope to achieve while you’re in it?
My role in THET is not a clinical role but it’s very much connected with my passion for diversity, inclusion, and equality.
I have a lot to achieve before the secondment ends in December! We’re focusing on diaspora population working in the health sector in the UK. Diaspora means people who are still contributing to their country while they’re also working in the health care system in the UK, like me; I can say I’m proud diaspora.
Some people go above and beyond, taking annual leave and going in their own time to help with health promotion back in their country. Those are the people I need to identify and collect their voices and showcase them in order to influence the UK government to support these people to support global health. Everyone deserves quality health all over the world and it’s not fair that one health care system is good, like in the UK, and another is falling apart, like in low/middle income countries. Everyone should learn a lesson from the COVID pandemic. It would be good if one country has the ability to treat the problem or solve the issue and they go to other countries.
My main vision, or mission, in this role is supporting the NHS to be an inclusive organisation. I want the NHS to lead with its values. I can help them with that and that is my role so I would like them to use me.
Tell us about your decision to put yourself forward for the position of RCN Wales Board member.
I have always had high respect for the RCN because it helped me in a difficult situation. As an adaptation nurse, I felt so low and unhappy because it wasn’t meeting my professional aspirations. I didn’t know what to do because I wanted to go to work in ICU so I contacted the RCN and they helped me and my employer so I had a smooth transition from the nursing home to the NHS. So, I am really thankful for the RCN and it became one of my goals to become a Board member. I was focusing on my studies and my career but I reached the point where I felt that I had capacity to take on extra things and when the vacancy arose my director of nursing asked if I was interested and encouraged me to apply.
I’m proud to say that I’m the only person of colour on the Board and I’m really appreciating the diversity this gives the Board. I want the RCN to look good from outside, especially as there are a lot of nurses coming from India and other countries, and I want to represent them on the Board. I want to highlight the cultural differences because we work with many diverse populations – some of the nurses coming here haven’t been to any countries other than the UK. I’m keen to do some ethnic minority workforce focus work and some training for RCN members in health boards across Wales to ensure their workplaces are favourable for nursing staff coming from overseas so that they can show their potential and feel like they belong here.
I have a lot of ideas and I have to find a way to make them work!
What does the future hold for you?
My daughters are my priority at the moment, but I want to progress my career and am open to opportunities.
What would you say to somebody considering a career in nursing?
The current situation in nursing is giving the wrong perception but, from my perspective, nursing is a really great profession, I highly recommend it and I will support however I can.
You will never be without a job and there are lots of opportunities to progress in your career if you have the right guidance or a good mentor. Of course, you need lots of resilience in this job.
Please come to nursing, it’s a great profession, and if you don’t come, things won’t change!
