Two Frimley Health colleagues had an opportunity to meet the King during a Buckingham Palace reception celebrating internationally educated nurses and midwives.

Alvin Nierva, matron for education, and Nana Arko, a safeguarding and perinatal mental health midwife, were nominated to attend by Trust and NHS South-East colleagues.

The reception last week was an opportunity for the pair to “connect with fellow international nurses who have made an impact on the NHS and social care sector – even meeting Chief Nursing Officer for England, Dame Ruth May”.   

Nana, from Ghana, joined Frimley Health in January through our international nurses programme. After attending the Florence Nightingale leadership course and giving a presentation on improving the integration of international staff in maternity at FHFT, she was spotlighted by the NHS South-East team and nominated to go to the royal reception.  

Nana was “elated” about her invitation, saying she was “appreciative and proud to be recognised despite being at the Trust for such a short time”.  

Alvin, also a product of our international nursing programme, now works in our clinical education team, having joined Frimley Health five years ago. Alvin works with a team of six to integrate up to 40 international nurses per month into our Trust from various countries. The team also helps the recruits to settle within their new teams and roles and looks after them pastorally. 

Alvin said it was an “opportunity of a lifetime” to attend the reception, and said he was honoured to have been nominated and given the chance to shake hands with the King.