Empower and Elevate: Career Strategies for Filipino Nurses in the UK

May Parsons administered the world’s first Covid vaccine outside of clinical trials in 2020. She and the chief executive of the NHS represented the health service in receiving from the late Queen Elizabeth II the George Cross, the highest civilian award for heroism and courage in the face of extreme danger. Starting as a Band 5 nurse while looking after her young children, she set aside time for training and applied for promotion when opportunities opened up at her trust. She is passionate about learning and has completed her master’s degree in Global Healthcare Management at Coventry University. Today, she is the Deputy Director for Quality and Patient Safety at the Buckinghamshire NHS Trust.

Kier Dungo is the founder and chair of Filipinos in Care, the first international association in the UK dedicated to social care nurses. A registered nurse, Kier says his calling is in adult social care where is making a difference in the sector. In 2024, he received the Chief Nurse Adult Social Care Gold Award for Excellence. Kier serves as a managing director for Gold Care Homes, supervising several care homes that the group runs.

Michio Schuck is a practice development nurse at the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Just after arriving in the UK to work as a nurse in 2022, Michio saw the need to support international nurses, creating equal opportunities for them to access education services and upskill them. She was awarded the 2023 BAME Educator of the Year for being an inspirational leader and role model who is working to give BAME staff a greater voice within her trust.

George Bermudez is a registered nurse who has worked across various different specialities in the UK. He co-founded the Filipino UK Nurses Community, an online community with at least 20K engaged members. Their website offers weekly articles that provide relevant information and updates for the community. They also host monthly informative webinars that help Filipino nurses in their struggles in living and working in Britain. George currently works for Vitality UK as a Team Leader Nurse Examiner.