The Nurses’ Window (2025)

19/09/2024

Meet Rohit Sagoo: (part 2)

Do you have a pivotal experience in your nursing career that left a lasting impact, whether challenging or memorable that you would like to share?

Our mission and commitment at British Sikh Nurses, when I founded it eight years ago, was to help raise physical and mental health awareness and education about maintaining positive well-being and healthy lifestyle choices in the Sikh community and beyond. In such a short time, British Sikh Nurse has grown immensely and has a large following on social media. What started as a small project has evolved into something that is quite a loud voice in the Asian community. British Sikh Nurse now has a natural platform in the Asian community that nationally supports and generates public awareness of health and social care issues. The lasting impact was when we worked with NHS Organ Donation and DKMS with stem cell donation and supported families searching for living organ and stem cell donors. We supported nine families, and all donors and recipients are doing well. And, of course, the small sprinkle of icing was being recognised and awarded the 1514th Point of Light Award and the RCN Leadership Award 2021 winner. British Sikh Nurses have also received an award for outstanding community work from the London Faith and Belief Awards in 2018. And it was a pleasure to receive the Queens Nurse Awards and title in 2024.

What is the most challenging aspect about a career in nursing?

I have become an influential and trusted voice within the nursing profession and the South Asian community, which took a long while to establish as there were many challenges to overcome. As part of the network of British Sikh Nurses, I advocate for my community's needs and contribute to shaping policies and practices that promote equitable healthcare, cultural competence, and diversity within the nursing workforce. By actively involving our team in community initiatives, promoting health education, and advocating for the healthcare needs of the British Sikh community, we can inspire others within the network to prioritise community-centred care. British Sikh Nurses have firmly established themselves as a community-based Nursing organisation, and the priority is to sustain the connectedness we have within the community as a health promotional driver and reduce health inequalities in the South Asian community. We do this by conforming to the tenets of the Sikh religion, one of them being SEWA (selfless service). This is paramount in our ethos as a faith-based nursing organisation.

03/09/2024

Meet Rohit Sagoo: (part 1) British Sikh Nurses

What is your current nursing role and how did you get here?

Founder and Director of British Sikh Nurses

How long have you been in the nursing profession?

26 years

What inspired your journey into nursing, and how has that inspiration evolved over time?

It would be clichéd to say that I entered nursing because I care for people; however, that’s not far from the truth. My inspiration for nursing stemmed from a friend who was a nurse and seeing how they evolved as a human being from the profession. This inspired me. Hence, I started my career in nursing. As a British-born South Asian male, I have always wanted to do something different and not in the typical profession, e.g., to work as a doctor, lawyer, or accountant. I broke glass ceilings, did something different, and was one of the first South Asian male children nurses in England. Children’s Nursing was the way I advocated for children and young people. I qualified as a children’s nurse in the late nineties and practised around hospitals based in London for ten years; after that, I taught in further and higher education. In 2016, I started a faith-based nursing organisation - British Sikh Nurses. My inspiration evolved from caring for children to imparting my knowledge to future children’s nurses. Although it remains the same, my faith in Sikhi was about giving back to my community.

01/09/2024

Meet Bee: (part 2 of 2)

What is the most challenging aspect about a career in nursing?

We face so many challenges every day, from staff shortages to abuse to equipment faults to exhaustion but the most frustrating part of my job is lack of beds. This isn’t just lack of beds, this has a whole rolling impact on everybody. Knowing there are people in the community who need ambulances but they are parked outside with patients waiting to come in because the Emergency Department is at capacity.

What do you feel is the most fulfilling aspect of your nursing role and how does it contribute to your sense of purpose?

Knowing I have contributed to saving and protecting people’s lives. Being there at possibly the worst point in their life, aiming to make it better. My team. They are all incredible, hard working, knowledgeable individuals, every single day is a learning day and the Nurses as well as the doctors always have time to teach no matter the chaos level and I hope to be the same for anyone joining the team.

Maintaining a work-life balance as a nurse is important, are there any activities or interests that bring you joy outside of your profession?

My little family, My dog, the beach, friends, anything that brings me adrenaline, fitness, music, driving (anything) and I am hoping to take up stand up paddleboarding in the next few weeks!

If you had the chance to make a change in the healthcare system to improve experiences for nurses, what positive change would you make?

The obvious thing and short answer is a payrise, it’s very hard to accept on a bad day that working in Starbucks or Lidl pays the same as saving lives under extreme pressure. I would make team building days (paid!) and mandatory but not extra hours.

If given the opportunity to make a change to the healthcare system to improve patient care, what positive change would you advocate for?

I would massively advocate for community hospitals to be reopened if we had the resources and staff to make that happen. This would take the immense pressure off the acute hospitals and create flow for new patients coming in.

What advice would you give to your younger self if you started your nursing career again?

Believe in yourself. I genuinely believe anybody can train to do anything they have a passion for and if you have the determination, it can be done.

Finally, in one sentence please share why you nurse?

People may not remember what you did, but they will remember how you made them feel.

31/08/2024

Meet Bee: (part 1 of 2)

What is your current nursing role and how did you get here?

I am currently a Band 5 Staff Nurse in the Emergency Department.

How long have you been in the nursing profession?

I have been a Staff Nurse for 1 year, I was a Registered Nursing Associate in training and qualified for 5 years and a HCA for 9 years.

What inspired your journey into nursing, and how has that inspiration evolved over time?

I left school with one GCSE, I was always told as a child that I was stupid and would achieve nothing, I believed this wholeheartedly. Nursing was never on my radar until I became sick and required Neurosurgery twice. In recovery from this I had a “lightbulb” moment that I needed to do something with my life and I wanted to help people. I still remember the Nurse who inspired me. I was unable to wash and dress myself, (not for long but it was an experience), she even put my make up on for me. I had a long journey to acquire the qualifications I needed but the more I achieved, the more determined I became. I have found my niche in Emergency and although I am where I aimed to be, the determination to go further is still with me and I am planning to return to Uni in September for Emergency specific training.

Do you have a pivotal experience in your nursing career that left a lasting impact, whether challenging or memorable that you would like to share?

There are so many and COVID was challenging for all of us, but I will never forget holding a mobile phone up to a patient’s ear so her sister and nephews could say goodbye as she was End of Life. I felt privileged to be with her, desperately sad that I was a stranger holding her hand in her last moments and that her family couldn’t be with her.

31/07/2024

Meet Molly Payne: (part 2 of 2)

What do you feel is the most fulfilling aspect of your nursing role and how does it contribute to your sense of purpose?

Sadly, a few of our patients come in to prison in a pretty sorry state, be that physically from injuries or homelessness or mentally from lack of receiving or accessing support in the community. In these scenarios, my most fulfilling aspect is when I see these patients maybe some time later on the wing or when they're about to be released and they're doing so much better because they've received the care they needed from us and the mental health team. Sometimes I'll remark "you're looking much better than when I saw you last" and they might remark "I'm feeling better." And just knowing that our healthcare team has supported them to feel better is a fantastic feeling!

Maintaining a work-life balance as a nurse is important, are there any activities or interests that bring you joy outside of your profession?

Having a good work-life balance is SO important! It's easy to take your work home with you, especially when you're newly qualified and you're used to having to think about your work (be that uni or placement) all the time! I personally like to craft, particularly cross stitch, I also enjoy watching trashy TV, reading and taking walks.

If you had the chance to make a change in the healthcare system to improve experiences for nurses, what positive change would you make?

More accessible routes into nursing. I meet lots of fab healthcare support workers who could be great nurses, but unfortunately don't pursue this because the route to nursing isn't easy or cheap. This would hopefully help with staffing and ultimately retention!

Finally, in one sentence please share why you nurse?

I nurse so I can help our patients feel supported and cared for.

26/07/2024

Meet Molly Payne: (part 1 of 2)

What is your current nursing role and how did you get here?

I am a Primary Care Nurse within a prison. This is my first role as a newly qualified nurse, but I was very fortunate to be able to complete my last placement as a student with this team, confirming to me this is definitely where I wanted to be when I qualified.

How long have you been in the nursing profession?

I have been qualified nearly 9 months!

What inspired your journey into nursing, and how has that inspiration evolved over time?

I began working as a carer in 2018, working my way to become a senior carer in 2019, when I started to wonder "what's next?". I really enjoyed supporting the community nurses that came to the care home I worked in when they did their visits and also really loved caring for people, so I decided I would take the leap in 2020 and apply to study nursing. I was so excited to be offered a place and get stuck in with studying!

I honestly had no idea what area I wanted to work in when I started studying, but meeting a prison nurse at our careers fair got me interested in the prospect, so I went for an insight visit and took on my management placement there. Now I'm inspired by my fantastic colleagues, aspiring to learn and become as knowledgeable as them!

What is the most challenging aspect about a career in nursing?

I think unfortunately the short staffing throughout most nursing areas is the biggest challenge. When areas are short staffed, the expectations for levels of care remain the same despite there not being enough people to fulfil these expectations. Many nurses are being overworked and becoming burnt out, whilst also missing out on opportunities to develop themselves.

21/07/2024

Meet Dr Sarah Bekaert: (part 4 of 4)

If you had the chance to make a change in the healthcare system to improve experiences for nurses, what positive change would you make?

Protected breaks (off the ward in a hospital setting) and finishing when the shift is due to finish. This relates to staffing levels.

If given the opportunity to make a change to the healthcare system to improve patient care, what positive change would you advocate for?

Appropriate numbers of registered nurses on a ward/in a team. There is value in skill mix but not at the expense of registered nurse numbers.

What advice would you give to your younger self if you started your nursing career again?

Possibly to better advocate for myself as a student nurse – but that just came with time. On the whole I am very happy with the journey – I am pleased I came in a little later when I had some work experience behind me, I am pleased that I moved roles quite regularly early on which led to a range of fabulous experience, I am happy with the move into academia!

Finally, in one sentence please share why you nurse?

This is a relational role that can affect positive change at an individual, family, community, policy, and legal level – always with the patient/client/child at the centre – it is very satisfying to connect with people at all these levels with the goal of improving health outcomes and quality of life.

19/07/2024

Meet Dr Sarah Bekaert: (part 3 of 4)

What do you feel is the most fulfilling aspect of your nursing role and how does it contribute to your sense of purpose?

Currently this is agitating for recognition of the added value of registered nurses in community settings, and mobilising to build the evidence base to support this movement. However, working with the next generation of nurses is also hugely rewarding – I am quite political and feminist across my teaching, I think this perspective takes some students by surprise when they start as they want to learn how to do nursing. By the third year though, after 6 or so placements, I can see they begin to see that the being of nursing is also vital, and this is influenced by politics, the place of women in society, the value placed on ‘caring’ roles, the history of medicine and nursing etc etc!!

Maintaining a work-life balance as a nurse is important, are there any activities or interests that bring you joy outside of your profession?

My faith, firmly rooted in social justice. Reading novels – good to escape (but often deal with the human condition!!). Trail running – alone with music. Swimming – preferably outside.

18/07/2024

Meet Dr Sarah Bekaert: (part 2 of 4)

How long have you been in the nursing profession?

25 years this year!!

What inspired your journey into nursing, and how has that inspiration evolved over time?

I graduated in modern languages and my first job was in administration with an overseas relief and development organisation called TearFund. I really wanted to work in what were then termed third world contexts but realised that I didn’t have a particular skill to offer! Inspired by my mother, also a nurse, I thought I would train to be a nurse and then work abroad. I had the privile of doing my training in the East End of London – and quickly realised that I dd not need to go abroad to work with people from around the world. I stayed in Hackney for 18 years in various nursing roles – the consistent theme in all roles has been the social determinants of health and the role of the nurse in mitigating the negative consequences of constrained socio-economic and health circumstances. Over the years I have moved around the public health model in that I now want to primarily focus on the policy and legal aspects of public health care, whereas previously, in clinical roles I was working with individuals, families and communities.

Do you have a pivotal experience in your nursing career that left a lasting impact, whether challenging or memorable that you would like to share?

Doing the interviews with the young mothers for my PhD study. They were so open, so detailed in their accounts, had had such difficult life experiences, had found joy (as well as challenge) in motherhood, had been marginalised by societal expectations and judgements around teenage motherhood. It really brought home to me how important it is to be mindful of people’s stories and life events and how that plays out across their lives. I was then fully convinced that advocacy for teens was my direction of travel!

What is the most challenging aspect about a career in nursing?

No-one other than other nurses seem to fully understand what we know and what we do – which leads to woeful consequences regarding commissioning and pay, and most importantly health outcomes for populations and individuals - even with clear evidence that having registered nurses = less death in acute settings!!

17/07/2024

Meet Dr Sarah Bekaert: (part 1 of 4)

What is your current nursing role and how did you get here?

I am currently a full time nurse lecturer researcher. I am part of the Children’s Nursing team, and my research focus is on public health issues relating to teens, with a specific interest in the role of the school nurse. I started out doing adult nursing, but when I had a placement on a children’s ward I knew I had to change my registration field! I briefly worked in an ambulatory care unit in Hackney, then went into school nursing. A lot of my work in schools was in relationships and s*x ed so I went on to do a masters in s*xual and reproductive health care, and then worked in the local young peoples’ s*xual health service, City and Hackney Young People’s Services – a pioneering service at the time. This service received government funding in the early 2000s to become a Teenage Health Delivery Site – commissioned to set up and evaluate creative pathways enabling ‘hard to reach’ young people to access health services. This was a fabulous service -I was lead nurse for this service, and we were able to be really creative. We set up partnerships with the youth offending team, local sixth forms, young carers service, the local A&E alongside a hub facility that provided general and s*xual health services, and access to a drug and alcohol worker, Connexions worker, CAMHS, Diabetes Nurse Specialist, young men’s and young women’s worker, LGBTQI worker, and dietician. This really was a truly effective public health service for teens. During this time we were also working with the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy and I was working with teen mums – I undertook a PhD study with them on teenage pregnancy decision making, and that really started my engagement with research and academia. I started to work part time clinically and part time at City, University of London whilst I completed my PhD. A promotion brought me to Oxford where I continued to work part time with the local s*xual health service and part time at Oxford Brookes University. My post-doctoral research portfolio grew so much that I had to make the difficult decision to become full time in research, which I did post-covid.

I now lead the Children and Families Research theme within the Oxford Institute of Applied Health Research, am currently working a part time secondment with Thames Valley Police (in relation to reducing youth violence), and have an affiliate lecturer role with Kristianstad University in Sweden. I really love the international aspect of nursing, and nursing research – and it gives me the opportunity to brush up my language skills from my first degree in modern languages!!

17/07/2024

Meet Gifty Markey: (part 3 of 3)

If you had the chance to make a change in the healthcare system to improve experiences for nurses, what positive change would you make?

Ensuring all NHS Organisations take the mental health of staff seriously and provide the right support without the stigma. Ensure access to mental health support for nurses is available and prioritised.

If given the opportunity to make a change to the healthcare system to improve patient care, what positive change would you advocate for?

Patient involvement is at the core of every process and decision making. Improving patient voice and ensuring this happens at all levels of care and treatment.

What advice would you give to your younger self if you started your nursing career again?

I will tell my younger self to never stop aspiring to make an impact on patients and to support colleagues where ever is possible and within her power. I will also tell her to dream big and dreams inspire you to have hope and work at it. To encourage her that all things are possible with determination and commitment.

Finally, in one sentence please share why you nurse?

I nurse because I care and I want to make a positive impact on the people I care for and those I work with.

16/07/2024

Meet Gifty Markey: (part 2 of 3)

What is the most challenging aspect about a career in nursing?

Thinking on your feet and ensuring the voice of patients are heard and at the centre of all you do. The challenge is that, the nursing professional life is under a lot of pressure and you have to be intentional and committed to ensuring you don't make decisions without thinking about the needs of the patients who would otherwise not have a voice. It takes a lot of effort and intentional leadership to do this. It is important not to rush through and just tick a box but make the conscious effort and bring others along with you through influencing in a positive way. There are a lot of health inequalities and without the efforts to include patients and their carers and advocates, we risk widening the gaps even more instead of closing it. I think this is a challenge we can all overcome, if we make those intentional efforts.

What do you feel is the most fulfilling aspect of your nursing role and how does it contribute to your sense of purpose?

I am passionate about advocating for the vulnerable and my career has given me the opportunity to do this in several roles. It has been a privilege to work with people in their most vulnerable states, supporting them in a compassionate and non-judgemental way.

Holding hope for my patients when caring for them is fulfilling. This is my “why” and what draws me to be a mental health nurse.

Maintaining a work-life balance as a nurse is important, are there any activities or interests that bring you joy outside of your profession?

Yes, I have an amazing family who support me in many ways. I am able to work flexibly in my current role to meet my personal and family needs. My line manager supports my work and I am given the support to take time off if needed and also to work flexibly. Apart from my nursing profession, I enjoy volunteering some time in my church to help out with youth development. I support and mentor young people and also women to find their purpose. I also volunteer one Saturday a month on the streets of Bristol as a street pastor supporting the vulnerable at night. This role is fulfilling as I am able to support people and minimise risk at night when people are vulnerable.

The Nurses’ Window

19/09/2024

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01/09/2024

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