17/09/2025
Meet Anna a clinical nurse manager on Crick Ward. She shares her journey for East and South East Asian heritage month.
“My journey in this trust began 15 years ago when I came to the UK as an overseas nurse, leaving behind my family, my culture, and everything familiar in the Philippines to pursue a calling that crossed borders.”
“Starting life in a new country wasn’t easy. I remember struggling to understand accents, learning how to use a different healthcare system, and adjusting to cold weather that my tropical soul was not prepared for!
“But like many Filipino nurses before me, I met those challenges with quiet determination, a smile, even if sometimes behind tears, and an unwavering commitment to care.
“Being a Filipino nurse in a foreign country means carrying my culture with me in every patient interaction, every decision I make, and every challenge I face. It means showing respect not just as a value, but as a way of life. It means working hard, even when no one is watching. And it means caring with a heart that sees beyond illness to the person behind the diagnosis.
“These principles not only guide my everyday practice but also empower me to lead and support my team with empathy, strength, and humility.
“I am proud to be a Filipino nurse in the UK. Proud of where I come from, proud of the journey I’ve made, and proud of the care I help deliver every single day.”