#TeamNorthMid blogs

Thank you to Sita Chitambo, Director of Nursing/AHP/Quality – Community Division, for taking part in our #ThisIsMe blog series which focuses on the incredible diversity of our workforces across North Mid. We hope you enjoy reading her story and encourage colleagues to do the same.

Feel free to share any feedback or comments for Sita at the end of the page. If you wish to share your own story and experiences about diversity, please contact our communications team at northmid.comms@nhs.net.

I’m originally from Zimbabwe and came to the UK in 1998 to pursue a nursing career. When I look at this picture of the young me (pictured below), it always reminds me of the saying we always say back home: “Know where you came from.”

I initially began my training to become an adult nurse in Scotland: I certainly started later in life as I was in my 30s and so I knew that I didn’t want to be a band 5 for long, I wanted to earn more, learn more and take on more responsibility, I made the decision to move to England to progress my career. 

I remember when I was a student, I used to receive emails from 'the head of nursing' - I always used to wonder 'who is this person?' and would it be possible for me to ever have that title?

I remember whilst working in my first management job as a district nurse team leader, my manager asked me 'Where do you want to be in five years' time?' I replied that I would like to be a head of nursing. Although she herself had not reached this role, she fully supported me - as have all of the managers that I have had during my career - and said that I would need a plan and objectives to achieve this goal.

To help me achieve my goals, I have always met with my line managers to conduct my annual review (aka appraisal). It shouldn’t be about luck but, I do feel very lucky to have had very supportive managers alongside me throughout my career to date. I have encountered challenges at times (as does everybody) but I have also had many opportunities.

I have held different roles during my career and remember that at one point, I acted up as a service manager twice whilst my manager was away on maternity leave. I have taken and made the most of every opportunity I have come across, learning what I could and developing each time.

There is never a right path when it comes to your career journey. At one point on my journey, I had to ‘be brave’ when I made the decision to leave my substantive job and take on a fixed-term contract at another organisation. Moving to another hospital meant that I could learn more about caring for acutely ill patients.

However as this fixed-term contract came to an end, I applied for a vacancy as head of nursing for community nursing and I was so excited that I had got the job. At this point I had completely forgotten about my appraisal and the fact that I said I wanted to be a head of nursing, I was just glad that I had got a job before the end of my fixed-term contract. One day, a former manager sent me an email congratulating me for achieving my goal. Confused, I picked up the phone to speak with them wondering what they meant. She said ‘you are now head of nursing!’ and I remember taking a look at my new job title and thinking to myself ‘yes I am.’ That manager was our Trust chief nurse, Sarah Hayes.

Whilst working at Whittington Health NHS Trust, I was invited to contribute a chapter to a book called ‘Nursing a Nation’ compiled by Jak Beula. The book is a collection of personal stories written by nurses who immigrated from African and West Indian countries to the UK to serve and contribute to the NHS. 

Every time I look at this picture of me in the book, it makes me proud: it represents a significant achievement in my career and celebrates how I have got to where I am today. The young me never anticipated or planned a career in nursing as such, it was an idea that I was drawn to when I was working in a completely different job. But now that I am here, I can’t imagine doing anything else now!

Since joining North Mid, my learning and progression continues: I applied to join the Outstanding Leaders development programme. Actively supported by our executive team, the course is great for coaching you with the essential skills you need to become a leader, manager, director and more.

The workshops and tasks also help to focus and clarify your career goals – though for me, these haven’t changed that much as I am very clear when it comes to the next step in my career: to become a chief nurse.

When I’m not at work, I make sure I make time to go for a run to help clear my mind and keep my body active. In October 2022, I joined eight other Trust colleagues to help raise money for North Mid Charity and run the annual Royal Parks Half marathon. It felt great to cross the finish line and help do ‘good’ for others but it wasn’t quite enough - just a few weeks later, I successfully completed my first-ever full-length marathon (pictured).

This winning feeling is how I feel now as I approach the finish line of achieving my career goals.