More than a million people work for the NHS, delivering health care to patients based on their needs and not their ability to pay. From frontline workers to back-office staff, the tremendous work and effort put into this difficult job does not go unnoticed, but who are the people working so hard to provide so much? 

Princess Tapales, age 33, is a staff nurse who moved to England from the Philippines 20 months ago. She works as a Perioperative Practicer, a job that involves recovering patients after anaesthetics and operations, specifically in airway management. Princess is one of the many workers who moved to England from their home country to work in the NHS. 

During an interview with Princess, she stated that she was ‘ecstatic’ about moving to England because it ‘was like a dream’ as she ‘never thought she would be able to move to another country and work in a job she loved’. She also mentioned how she would have moved over at a younger age if she had known how happy she would be.  

When asked about the most rewarding aspect of her job, Princess expressed that it is ‘to know you have helped someone at their most vulnerable time’. However, she then commented that being away from family in the Philippines is the toughest and hardest part of her work. Princess voiced that her goals for the future included climbing higher in her career and one day becoming a manager of her own team of staff. 

Lastly, when asked if she had any advice for someone who wanted to go down a similar career path, Princess said ‘to have confidence in yourself and ensure you are competent in your job, as you are facing many different roles, and you have to have the flexibility to adjust to them’. Furthermore, she also expressed that you should ‘believe in yourself’, this is positive advice that strongly reflects her story. 

Her admirable courage and kindness are the qualities that create the foundation for the NHS and a platform that can inspire others. People like Princess change lives every day and work tirelessly to provide a better and healthier workplace for everyone. Thank you, NHS!