Research is something I’m passionate about
“While I was working as a computer consultant, I was also volunteering as a nurse at the Whittington Hospital in their phlebotomy department. It sparked something in me and led to me developing an interest in nursing.
“I decided to take the leap and trained as a nurse at Middlesex University Hospital. I qualified as a children’s nurse in 2005 and a year later specialised as a neonatal nurse at the Royal London Hospital. I first became involved in research while working as a senior staff nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit at Newham hospital in 2011.
“I was then asked if I was interested in taking up a post as a research nurse as at Newham Hospital. I’ve never looked back.
“In my role as a children’s research nurse, I largely work on clinical trials. Together with the wider team, we run trials that aim to find out whether new treatments for different children’s conditions are better than the current standard treatments, and ultimately, if they improve patient outcomes.
“In my day-to-day role I hold numerous responsibilities. These include setting up new trials and studies, identifying patients who are eligible to join them and providing parents and children with information about the trial to insure they are fully informed before giving consent. I’m also involved in administering medications and treatments, and provide families in the trials with education and support when they need it.
“During the first wave of Covid-19, I was redeployed to adult ITU wards as a support nurse, while during the second wave I worked as a research nurse on Covid-19-related projects. Despite being nervous, I thrived and gained valuable experience and emotional maturity in these roles. I have been privileged to work alongside doctors, researchers, and nurses from different specialities to make a significant contribution to the delivery of Covid-19 research.
“While the pandemic has been hard in lots of ways, it’s also opened other doors for me. I had been planning and thinking about doing a PhD for a while, but the work I did during the pandemic gave me a boost of confidence to embark on one. I have been lucky to be awarded a year’s funding by Barts Charity to work on a project which I’m really excited about. Along with others, we’re looking at finding new, better ways of diagnosing seizures in young children. Specifically, I am researching the experiences and perceptions of parents who have children who have had seizures.
“I’m really excited about working on this project and learning more about research – it’s something I’m passionate about. Research, including clinical trials, is at the heart of driving progress in medicine and in bettering outcomes for people. If anyone is thinking about getting involved in clinical trials or broader research, I really encourage them to do so.”
Read more:
- Research and Development at Barts Health – the teams behind the scenes
- "It has been an interesting year to say the least"
- "We knew engagement would be crucial to enrolling participants to our research studies"
- "I am so proud of the research community in Barts Health"
- Take part in research