What it means to be an Evelina London nurse

Debbie Komaromy and Victoria Felton, two of our senior nurses at Evelina London.

To mark International Nurses’ Day on Friday 12 May, we’re sharing what it means to be a nurse at Evelina London. Two of our senior nurses, Debbie Komaromy and Victoria Felton, explain why they became nurses.

Debbie Komaromy is Head of Nursing for Medicine and Neonatology. She manages hundreds of nurses, helping them to develop the skills to look after children with differing needs, and ensuring that nursing has a voice. She provides a nursing perspective when decisions are made about developments at the hospital.

Debbie shares why she became a nurse: “I was in hospital for about three weeks as a child. The nurses not only looked after me but also made sure that I was ok, sitting with me and distracting me when I was upset and missed my mum. I wanted to make sure that work carried on.

“Being an Evelina London nurse means that I get to work with teams of incredibly talented nurses who always try to do the right thing for unwell children and their families.”

Victoria Felton is a Senior Paediatric Nurse Practitioner, leading a team of senior nurses who provide clinical support and advice 24 hours a day. They make sure that the hospital runs safely and assess the care of every child staying with us.

She shares what being a nurse at Evelina London means to her: “By working at Evelina London I get to come and work in a job that I love and am incredibly passionate about every day. With my colleagues, I’m able to provide exceptional care to the children and families.

“I became a nurse because I wanted to ensure that all children have access to high quality care when they need it the most, and being a Senior Paediatric Nurse Practitioner means I can have a direct impact on their care.

On International Nurses’ Day, Debbie and Victoria are taking part in a daredevil stunt to abseil off the roof of St Thomas’ Hospital in support of Evelina London.

“I would love for my fundraising efforts to go towards new technology that will help us further improve our care,” says Victoria.

Debbie is involved in engagement work at Evelina London: “We work with children and young people to develop the services, and resources, that they need most. This work is funded by the charity and will help to improve children and young people’s experiences at the hospital.”

If you’re interested in taking part in an event to raise money for Evelina London, visit our fundraising pages.