The virtual Student and Newly Registered Nurse Careers Fair supported by Nursing Standard

Julie Watkins has worked for the RCN since 2007 and currently works as an RCN Careers Coach. She has a desire to support people throughout their career. In particular working with individuals to focus on their values and strengths, and how these align with career goals and aspirations.

Joy is an early career Registered Nurse (ICU) and PhD student, who has recently completed her first year as a preceptee on an acute rotational post.  Joy is currently producing an insights piece for Elsevier which features discussions with peers and healthcare leaders on preceptorship and newly qualified life.

As an undergraduate Joy demonstrated a passion for the nursing profession. As Unison National Student Nurse Lead, Joy engaged with national healthcare leaders and campaigned alongside the Florence Nightingale Foundation, The Nursing Times and Unison for improved preceptorship support for all newly registered nurses.

For her Council of Deans @150Leaders project Joy showcased video diaries aired by the BBC highlighting student contributions to the pandemic response. By researching and applying digital health pathways on placement, Joy was named ‘Patient Advocate of Tomorrow’ by the 2019 Patient Experience Network awards. Joy was also a shortlisted finalist in four national Student Nursing Times awards for her inspirational work, innovation and contribution to student nurse affairs. 

Joy currently sits on the #TeamCNO Early Career Nurses Shared Professional Decision Making steering council where she advocates for early career nurses.Joy tweets as @NursingPUNC18 and @teamCNO_EC

Charlotte Jakab-Hall is a Senior Practice Development Nurse and Senior Peer Support Guardian at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, England, UK. She is from an acute medical background and has previously specialised in safe care through digital nursing and operational workforce deployment. She is an elected Royal College of Nursing Board member for the South-West; she has recently become a Learning rep in addition to her role as a Steward. She is an active ambassador for the Nursing Now Challenge, she currently sits on the advisory board and is co-chair of the global Challengers committee. She has a strong commitment to building the leadership of the future and encourage health care staff of all different levels to take on more leadership roles and advocate for our profession, our patients and our future workforce. During her time as NRN she set up an online blog which discusses, reflects and shares her journey as a healthcare professional, showing the reality of the ups and downs we experience in our work. www.diaryofacnjf.wordpress.com

One of the most important things she has learned as a nurse is to never take her position as a professional lightly, we are privileged to be able to provide people with care when they are at their most vulnerable. If we invest in ourselves as nurses, we are gifting the nursing profession.

Twitter and Instagram @CharlotteNHSRN

Gloria Sikapite is a Newly Registered Research Nurse (oncology/urology), East and North Hertfordshire Trust. She is Council of deans -150 Leaders Alumni, Gold Herts Award winner - University of Hertfordshire and curator for RCNNRN Twitter account.

Georgina is a Sister working for the NHS. Her first job as a newly qualified nurse was at Accident and Emergency and it was the best decision she ever made. She is looking forward to sharing her experiences with you and helping you decide where you are going to start your career.

Daniel works as a Community Learning Disability Nurse in the Intensive Support Team (IST) for Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust. The IST currently go and visit vulnerable patients in the community, age 16 or over, who as well as having a learning disability are in someway presenting in crisis. This has to be sufficiently bad that it is generally considered by their multi disciplinary team that there is a risk of a hospital admission and or a breakdown of their current placement and or living arrangements. He uses both a mental health or positive behaviour 12 week support pathway which involves, visits assessments and data gathering to try and identify the correct support to prevent this from happening if that is appropriate and try and implement that support. He is also a curator and part of the steering group for the RCN newly registered nurses group, a member of the NHS England newly registered nurses decision making council and a Samaritan. 

Alex Dray is a newly registered children’s nurse in London, working on a surgical ward for neonates up to 18-year-olds. She is interestedin all things neonatal and babies. Originally from North Wales but has moved to London when se was accepted at LSBU to study nursing.
You can find her on twitterr @AlexDray_RN or on the newly registered nurses twitter page that she curates with some other NRN’s @RCNNRN

Alexandra Parker is a a Newly-Qualified Mental Health Nurse, currently working within a low secure mental health ward. She has been able to partake in a lot of great opportunities as a student nurse, Nursing Times Student Editor, Student Nursing Times Awards Finalist 2021.