For Gabriela Walker, nursing was never just a career choice - it became a calling shaped by experience, compassion and a desire to make a difference.
“I think it just kind of happened,” she reflects. “But I always had that feeling of wanting to give back. That’s why I went into nursing.”
Now working as a Clinical Placement Facilitator alongside colleague Anna Thomas, Gabriela supports the next generation of nurses as they begin their journeys, helping them navigate the realities of a profession that is as demanding as it is rewarding.
Together, they are part of a workforce that sits at the very heart of the NHS - delivering care, supporting families, and shaping the future of healthcare.
Before stepping into education, Gabriela worked on an oncology ward, where she saw first-hand the full spectrum of nursing, from life-saving interventions to end-of-life care.
“There were times where I’ve saved somebody’s life, and that’s incredibly rewarding,” she says. “But I’ve also supported patients at the end of their lives, and that’s just as important.”
It’s in those quieter, often unseen moments that the true value of nursing becomes clear.
“You can’t always save someone,” she explains. “But you can always make a difference - making sure someone is comfortable, free from pain, and that their family is supported. That matters.”
This is the human side of healthcare, high-quality, compassionate care, and, today, Gabriela and Anna play a crucial role in developing the workforce.
“We support all students and trainees coming into the Trust,” Gabriela explains. “From induction through to their placements, we provide teaching, additional support, and act as a link between the clinical areas and the university.”
Having both trained as nurses themselves, they bring lived experience to the role. “We’ve been there,” Anna says. “We know what it’s like, and we understand what students need.”
Their work helps ensure that student nurses not only complete their training, but thrive - building confidence, competence and resilience.
Both Gabriela and Anna are honest about the realities of modern nursing.
“It is a really challenging profession,” Gabriela says. “There are times when you feel like you can’t do enough. You want to give your best to every patient, but sometimes there isn’t enough time or resources.”
Anna agrees: “You want to do more, but there are limitations.”
Yet despite these challenges, their message to future nurses is clear. “If this is what you really want, go for it,” Gabriela says. “It’s not an easy journey - it takes hard work and courage, but it’s incredibly rewarding.”
She is equally clear about what drives people to succeed in the role. “Nursing is about passion. It’s not something you do for money, it’s something you do because you care.”
One of nursing’s greatest strengths is its flexibility. “There are so many different pathways,” Anna explains. “You’re not limited to one area.”
Gabriela agrees: “You can go into education, research, specialist roles - there’s so much variety. If one area isn’t right for you, you can move into something completely different without leaving the profession.”
This adaptability not only benefits individuals, but the wider health system, ensuring skills can be deployed where they are most needed, and careers can evolve alongside changing demands.
Nursing is also a career that welcomes people from all walks of life. “We have many mature students starting nursing,” Gabriela says. “And that’s really important.”
Life experience, she explains, brings added value to patient care. “People who’ve had different experiences often have a deeper understanding of what patients are going through. That makes a real difference.”
International Nurses Day is marked each year on 12 May, which is the birthday of Florence Nightingale – and also, coincidentally, Gabriela!
And Gabriela and Anna say the recognition matters. “It’s really nice to see people acknowledging the profession and saying positive things about the work we do,” Gabriela says. “It matters. All of it matters.”
