'The greatest thing for me has been finding my authentic voice'

What attracted you to King’s?

I was working in London and King’s used to supply students to the organisations I worked with. It was also listed as one of the top universities for nursing and healthcare. I’m proud to have studied here.

How did you find the transition from working life to student life?

I already knew what I wanted to do and what I wanted to get out of my studies. I was at a stage in my career where leadership was something I wanted to do and something I wanted to be good at. Whatever your previous work experience, when you enter higher education, you’re a learner like everyone else. You’re always taking in new information and meeting new people, which is wonderful.

I must also give a shoutout to Julia Mingay, Lecturer in Adult Nursing. She was our tutor and she was awesome.

What attracted you to a career in nursing originally?

It was my mum. She travelled here from Barbados as part of the Windrush generation and she came with aspirations to be a nurse. She didn’t quite fulfil that. She met my dad quite quickly and had four children, so she was never in a position to pursue it. But she did become a support worker.

I also remember she always knew what to do if one of us was ill or fell over. She just seemed to have the knack. She inspired me and I don’t remember ever wanting to be anything else. I always wanted to be a nurse.

What made you choose the Advanced Practice Leadership course at King’s?

I got into nursing and I was specialising in respiratory medicine. I got to a point where I would then go really, really specialist. But I thought, ‘Would I be satisfied with that?’ I loved my job, but there was something nagging me that I wanted leadership to be part of my role.

In leadership positions, while direct patient care may not always be your responsibility, your role is crucial in picking the right people, getting the right culture and managing performance. You do that to ensure thousands of people out there are given good care. I recognised I wanted to impact more people through leadership.

Was there a key lesson you learnt at King’s?

There are so many leadership models, but you have to land on what feels authentic to you. And you have to evolve. You have to be a leader that is able to adapt in the moment to support the person or the situation. Looking through all the leadership models I learnt a lot thinking, ‘Where do I fit?’ You need to be a bit of everything, because you need to be different in different situations.

The course definitely taught me that. I’ve held senior roles and managed thousands of people, and they’re all different. They show up differently, they come with different things and they’re from different backgrounds. It’s not just about how you lead, it’s just as important to think about the people who follow you and how you can inspire them.

How did the course support your next career move?

It helped me springboard into my next job. I got a promotion not long after I finished and, on average, I’ve been promoted every four years since into increasingly more senior roles.

What is your key leadership philosophy?

Encouraging people to bring their whole selves to work is very important. I was the first generation of my family to be born in the UK. My parents are from the British colonies of the West Indies – and I never quite fitted in here. Your differences get pointed out when you’re young, so you change and adapt to fit into the place you’re in. You walk into a room, and your colour walks in with you, your gender walks in with you and some things are more obvious than others.

I reached a point where I had to work out how to bring all the bits of myself together. I’m never going to show up like anyone else because I don’t look or sound like other people. Nor do I want to. I’m proud of who I am. I’m British and I was born here. But I have a rich tapestry of culture, so I think, ‘How do I bring that into work and how can that benefit everyone else?’

That’s important. Particularly when you look at the diversity of the country and of London, and our workforce within the NHS. People seeing someone who looks like them is massively important.

Are there any achievements you’re particularly proud of?

It was lovely receiving the MBE in 2024. My mum is 81 and she was ecstatic. It was lovely receiving the Fellowship of The Queen’s Nurse Institute, too. And I was proud to receive my honorary Doctorate from Buckingham New University.

But the greatest achievement for me has being finding my authentic voice and my authentic self.

The other day, someone said I was ‘a nurse’s nurse’, which I loved! I’m proud I’ve been able to stay true to my younger self, always trying to lead with kindness and compassion.

You’re also a Trustee at HelpForce and a volunteer at Prostate Cancer UK…

My first trustee role was setting up the Mary Seacole Trust. It was a moment where I recognised that there are very few black senior leaders. So, I’m a role model, just like nursing pioneer Mary.

My current role at HelpForce promotes volunteering, which is super important. The greatest gift we can give people is our time. I’m a volunteer myself and it’s so good for your soul.

My Prostate Cancer UK work was inspired by my dad, who was diagnosed at an advanced stage. I wanted to save him and make him better, but I couldn’t. I now want to prevent people like him having an untimely death, particularly as the black community is more affected. One in four black men will get prostate cancer, which is a huge number. I want to make sure that people get diagnosed early and get treated, because my dad never had that. I’m not sure how my dad would feel about having his name and his pictures on the internet as he hated social media. But I think he’d understand that his legacy inspired me to hopefully save a few lives.

What is next for you?

I’ve just taken on a job as Chief Nurse for London at NHS England at one of the most pivotal moments for the NHS, so I have my work cut out for me there.

I’m getting to the point where my career is about legacy and what I can do to have the biggest impact. So, it will be continuing to inspire the next generation, helping to lead nationally and build an NHS that’s fit for the future. When I decide to step away, I want to feel that I’ve made a difference and that I’ve inspired people to be their best.

Finally, is there a piece of advice for those wanting to follow in your career footsteps?

I’d say to anyone wanting to go into nursing or healthcare, just do it. It’s amazing! There are 350 roles in the NHS, so you can build you entire career within it. That’s what I’ve done. I’ve moved around, but I’ve worked in the NHS pretty much my whole career.

You can find your place somewhere in the system and help people. You can make a real difference to society and people’s lives, and there aren’t many jobs that give you that level of satisfaction. It’s a wonderful career for life.