Research nurse expresses her pride in profession’s response to COVID-19
International Nurses’ Day is celebrated around the world every year on the 12th May to celebrate Florence Nightingale’s birthday. To mark the day, a south London research nurse has spoken about her pride in how the profession has responded to COVID-19.
Kiki Burns, who is employed as a member of the CRN South London flexible workforce, was deployed to the liver research team at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust from South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. She is supporting the network’s response to COVID-19.
Kiki, who has been a qualified nurse for six years, explains that it has been a privilege to play her part in helping to tackle the virus. She said:
“The way we have been able to respond to this pandemic has been amazing and I feel proud. Nursing is a vocation, it's not just a job, and this has never been more clear than it is right now.
“We are all so hopeful that we can find a treatment and a vaccine for COVID-19. I have felt very lucky to have had a purpose and to have been able to contribute to trying to find a solution on the trials. Research is the only way we can find out the answers to tackling this virus.
“The team here at King’s College Hospital has been so welcoming and helpful, and I feel that I have learnt so much! I have met lots of wonderful people. I enjoy the rigor of research and the impact that you can have is so broad. Alongside there being the rewarding experience of building relationships with the individual patients on the studies you are undertaking.”
The research nurse’s day-to-day responsibilities include administering Investigational Medicinal Product to people participating in the trials and monitoring patients’ blood results to ensure everything remains at the levels required.
CRN South London’s Workforce Development Lead Nhlanhla Mguni said: “I’d like to thank nurses, midwives and practitioners across south London for their work in supporting vital COVID-19 research.
“Nurses, midwives and practitioners have an unparalleled contribution to make to clinical research. They are champions for driving innovation and informing research priorities within their organisations.
“Thank you for everything you are doing to support the national response to COVID-19 in south London.”
