20 November 2021

Sijo Stephen is the Ward Manager of G8 renal ward at Frimley Park Hospital. He started his nursing career in India 17 years ago before coming to the UK to pursue a career in the NHS.

Sijo joined Frimley Health in 2017 at a pivotal time for the Trust as it began to set up its dedicated renal unit. Previously Sijo had been working in the private healthcare sector as a renal nurse for several years but had always wanted to make the move into the NHS. The fantastic opportunity to be a leading force in setting up a new renal service was exactly what he had been looking for to kickstart his NHS career.

Sijo says about choosing a career in renal nursing: “Renal care is one of the only types of nursing where you can have the same patients in your care for 5, 10, 15 years. You can make a real connection with these patients, get to know them and become a part of their extended family.”

Since it opened in 2017 the G8 renal ward, led by Sijo, has been hugely successful. It’s delivered more than 5,000 dialysis sessions to patients that would have otherwise had to stay in Intensive Care or be transferred to a dialysis suite off site for their regular treatment.

Ever since he was little Sijo has always wanted to be a nurse, he said: “Nursing is a calling and a mission – it’s not like working behind a desk.

“This is a noble profession. Some say it’s a thankless job but all you need to do is look to the thousands of thank you cards we’ve got in our staff room. We make a difference.

“What is just another day at work for you is a momentous moment in a patient’s life and watching a patient come in on a stretcher and walk out days later strong and healthy is always amazing.

This isn’t just a profession. It’s more than that.”

Sijo has big plans for the future, hoping to be able to expand Frimley Health’s renal service to serve more of the local community.