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Women in Leadership - Udochi Adiukwu, NHS Nurse
Name: Udochi Adiukwu
Role: Sexual Health Nurse Assistant
Company: NHS
Please tell us a little bit about yourself: I currently work in sexual and reproductive health after studying Human Biology at Loughborough University.
Why did you decide to go into your chosen field? Whilst choosing my dissertation topic I gravitated towards sexual health as it is not only clinically interesting, but is also impacted by socio-cultural factors that feed into a person's sexual health and wellbeing. It's extremely unique in the fact that you have to truly treat patients holistically and take into account their relationships, their self-esteem, personal lives etc. It provides a clinician with a lot of opportunity for education and empowerment in an often overlooked and stigmatized area of health.
What qualifications and work experience did you need to reach your current position? I studied Human Biology, and gained work experience in clinical research as part of my year in industry, as well as volunteering for sexual health charities.
What do you enjoy most about your job/role? Truthfully, the patients. Having to work with patients keeps you on your toes, and requires you constantly adapt to individualise your approach to care.
Are there any obstacles you had to overcome in your career? Yes, namely the funding. Even as patients we feel the effect the chronic defunding has on our care, but as workers trying to gain adequate training and additional degrees/qualification has now become harder than ever since the government has scrapped alot of nursing schemes.
Why do you think it is important to have strong female representation in your industry? Whilst women make up 97% of the nursing workforce they only fill one third of senior positions those of which still make 17% less than than their male counterparts. There are still so many barriers to progression i.e. financial strain, single parent households, childcare etc. however without accurate representation at the top, the ladder will never get thrown down to the people who need it the most.
What advice would you give to those wanting to take a similar career path? Work backwards and be mindful! It's hard to know what jobs are out there without being in the field already, so browse the job market and look at qualifications and skills they're asking for, to direct your work experience and jobs.
When you are in a role don't be afraid to ask people who might be doing something similar - if there's an already laid out path then take it!
Finally, be granular about the things you like and dislike about your roles to figure out what to look for and what to leave behind - no experience is waste of time.
