RCN London Rising Stars Winners 2025

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RCN London is delighted to introduce the Rising Star winners for our 2025 Awards.

These awards recognise and celebrate the contribution of the global majority nursing community working in London - this includes Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic nursing staff.

This year’s Rising Stars are already making an impact. They have implemented innovative projects, transformed patient care and empowered colleagues. We can’t wait to see what they do next.

Click on the boxes below to find out more about each winner.

Andrea Rosete – Clinical Practice Educator

Andrea works at Charing Cross Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

Andrea’s nursing journey began in the Philippines, where she qualified in 2013. After nearly a decade of service in Saudi Arabia, she came to the UK in 2022. But it was in 2024, when she stepped into her current role, that Andrea discovered a new passion: education.

She leads pastoral support for the Nursing Associate and Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship programmes at the Trust. Beyond one-to-one support, she hosts listening forums where apprentices come together, share experiences, and learn from one another. These sessions have built a real sense of community, giving apprentices the confidence to speak up and celebrate their progress.

Before taking the role, Andrea hadn’t thought much about education, but now her passion is helping others to grow and inspiring them to succeed. In the words of her nominator, Andrea is: “a Rising Star who turns strategy into day-to-day impact, equipping, encouraging and advocating for staff so they can deliver excellent, safe and compassionate patient-centred care."

Carolyn Kaira – Registered Nurse

Carolyn works at KYN Bickley Care Home.

Carolyn is a registered nurse with over three decades of experience, currently working in the care home sector. Originally from Zambia, she moved to the UK in 2018, beginning her journey in Northern Ireland before settling in London in 2021.

Her passion for nursing was sparked at just four years old, after experiencing the kindness and compassion of a local nurse. Those values have remained at the heart of Carolyn’s practice ever since and they shone through in her nomination.

In her current role, Carolyn introduced an innovative pain assessment tool for residents living with dementia, helping staff identify discomfort earlier and adjust care plans promptly. This simple yet powerful change has improved residents’ wellbeing and reduced unnecessary hospital admissions.

For Carolyn, the greatest joy comes from the intimate moments of care, making a resident smile or supporting a family through end-of-life care. As expressed by her nominator: “Carolyn’s energy, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to excellence embody what it means to be a Rising Star.”

Divanshi Sharma – Student

Divanshi studies at the University of Roehampton.

Divanshi is a third year Adult Nursing student at the University of Roehampton. Growing up in India, she came over to the UK to study at university. With a keen interest in chemistry and biology at high school, after researching a number of different professions, nursing was the perfect blend of professional skills, patient care, and opportunities to go into different fields of nursing such as different specialisms or research.

From her experience being an international student, she wanted to support students, both international and from the UK. She founded the first ever nursing society at her university, creating a lasting platform for nursing students to support one another, share learning, and connect with the wider profession.

Every year of her degree in addition to her studies and placements, whether as Student Ambassador or now as President of Digby Stuart College at her university, Divanshi has consistently stepped up to support others. Summed up by her nominator, Divanshi “demonstrates resilience, dedication and a genuine passion for nursing. Divanshi is a role model for her peers and an outstanding future nurse.”

Fatima Sonko – Staff Nurse

Fatima works at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

Fatima qualified in The Gambia where she practiced for a couple of years before moving to the UK four years ago. While still early on in her career she has achieved many things. She loves to make a difference, whether that is for patients, for students or for colleagues.

Fatima is passionate about advocacy, research and influencing systemic change. As an advocate for inclusion, Fatima has played a pivotal role in the scoping of a career progression development programme for internationally educated nurses at the Trust.

She has grown in confidence since joining the Kofoworola Abeni Pratt Fellowship at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (a programme at the Trust to help address the gap in senior leaders who identify as being from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background). Recently Fatima has been contributing to their nursing and midwifery strategy.

In the words of her nominator: “Her leadership potential is undeniable - she is not only a rising star - she is a future leader of our profession”.

Katherine Anne Uy Saeb – Clinical Ward Sister

Katherine works at Northwick Park Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust.

Katherine has been a nurse for 12 years. Inspired and guided by her late father, she has siblings and aunts who are nurses. Katherine qualified in the Philippines before bringing her passion and expertise to the UK in 2021.

Driven by a desire to make a genuine difference in people’s lives while continuously developing her skills, Katherine has introduced several innovative initiatives that have transformed both patient care and staff wellbeing.

She began working on a trauma and orthopaedic ward with patients who had limited mobility. On a Friday afternoon she was approached for help, and by Monday she had planned and implemented the #TimeToTurn Quality Improvement Plan. As a result of the plan, patient skin damage cases reduced by 89% and staff wellbeing and morale improved.

For colleagues, Katherine has made a huge difference whether it be streamlining communication leading to an increase in staff engagement, or empowering junior colleagues to take on more senior roles with confidence.

Her nominator highlighted: “Katherine has consistently demonstrated a steadfast commitment to advancing clinical education and elevating standards of care.”

Lovehan Dacres – Healthcare Assistant

Lovehan works at Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Hospital NHS Trust.

Having grown up in Jamaica, Lovehan came to the UK at the age of 16 and has been a healthcare assistant in her current role for 5 years. Lovehan enjoys supporting patients, being able to make a positive difference to their lives.

Lovehan has shown leadership beyond her role. Lovehan is inspiring colleagues, driving innovation, and helping build a healthier workplace for all. She is an active member of the Shared Decision-Making Council at her Trust, a forum where frontline staff collaborate to shape improvements in practice, influence decision-making, and enhance staff and patient experiences.

Lovehan played a key role in the development of the Coffee Project, a wellbeing initiative designed to improve staff break times and reduce the financial and time pressures on staff, which also had a positive impact on patient care.

As her nominator said: “her journey has motivated others to bring forward their ideas and strengthened the culture of shared decision-making."

Maria Kristina Talusan – Lead Nurse for Medicine Safety and Governance

Maria Kristina works at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Maria Kristina is from the Philippines and she came to the UK just over 4 years ago. Maria Kristina was drawn to nursing because of the sense of compassion and community, and a desire to make people feel safe.

Having previously been a theatre nurse, in April 2025, Maria Kristina became the first Lead Nurse for Medicine Safety and Governance at her Trust. Since then, she has made a remarkable impact: contributing to medicines safety initiatives, improving the accuracy of discharge medication counselling, and drawing on her frontline nursing experience to strengthen collaboration between pharmacy and clinical teams.

She works hard to build collaborative relationships with colleagues so they feel supported, heard and valued. Maria Kristina thrives on combining her clinical experience with her passion for quality and safety, which fuels her drive to continually grow and empower others.

In the words of her nominator: “Maria Kristina's ability to lead by example, mentor others, and advocate for safe, compassionate, and equitable care makes her versatile, committed, and already a role model.”

Naveen Harikumar – Practice Development Nurse

Naveen works at Northwick Park Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust.

Naveen has been nursing for a decade. He started his nursing journey in India and came to the UK in 2019 where he started work in a busy stroke unit. He has held positions as a staff nurse, stroke nurse and has been in his current role of Practice Educator since 2023.

His passion is to help others grow, whether that’s seeing patients’ health improving, or helping new nurses gain confidence in practice. Being an internationally educated nurse himself, he can draw on his own experience and emotions and help international nurses when they come to the UK.

He designed an IEN Orientation Framework which has delivered fantastic results. 100% of international nurses recruited are still employed in the unit, with all rating his support as 5/5 during their transition.

In the words of his nominator: “perhaps his most powerful contribution lies in his ability to inspire and mentor others”.

Rexford Osei-Bonsu – Senior Charge Nurse

Rexford works at Brixton Donor Centre, NHS Blood and Transplant.

Qualifying as a nurse in Ghana in 2006, Rexford moved to the UK in 2009 and joined the British Army, serving until 2015. During his time in the forces, he spent his final years as a dedicated company medic. After leaving the army, Rexford continued his healthcare journey in the NHS before joining NHS Blood and Transplant, where he now leads as Centre Manager at Brixton Donor Centre.

Rexford’s passion for nursing was shaped by two powerful influences: a friend’s mother who worked as a local nurse and his experience caring for his grandmother. These early inspirations, combined with his military service and a deep awareness of the impact of sickle cell disease within Black communities, fuel his commitment to improving blood care.

At Brixton, Rexford has championed initiatives to increase blood donations from Black communities. Through innovative partnerships with local community and faith groups, and by leveraging the reach of social media influencers, his team has achieved remarkable results, boosting repeat donations and engaging younger donors from diverse backgrounds.

As his nominator shared: "Rexford has made a significant difference to patients, colleagues, and the wider service. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this nomination."

Smita Patelia – Deputy General Clinical Manager

Smita works at Lynde House Care Home, Barchester Healthcare.

Smita qualified and worked as a nurse for 10 years in India, before coming to the UK in 2006. She has worked in different settings and realised that her real calling was working with residents in care homes. Nursing runs in her family, having followed in the footsteps of her aunt and older sister, the next generation have also been inspired by her to go into nursing.

Smita is particularly passionate about end-of-life care and inspired by a learning event she pioneered an initiative to support residents with dementia. Today she leads the home’s Namaste project, providing sensory and therapeutic opportunities to residents which brings both enjoyment to them and also reduces their anxiety and distress.

Smita is now collaborating with colleagues across other care homes to introduce similar initiatives, spreading the benefits of the approach and raising the standards of dementia care. Smita has shown leadership, empathy, and unwavering dedication. She is not just caring for residents, she is changing the way care is delivered.

Summed up by her nominator: “Smita is approachable, supportive, and driven, someone with the skill, vision, and dedication to shape the future of healthcare.”

Von Jerold Buendia – Senior Charge Nurse

Von works at St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

Von is from the Philippines. He qualified in 2013 and spent time in ITU before moving to the UK in 2019. Von has worked on a respiratory ward since arriving in the UK and his experience of working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has strengthened his commitment and passion to the nursing profession.

During a six-month placement in education, Von created an innovative tea trolley teaching programme which delivers bite-sized, interactive education directly to wards. The programme seeks to break down the barriers nurses face when wanting to learn by bringing it directly to them. It has not only advanced clinical knowledge but also strengthened teamwork, belonging, and joy at work.

Although Von’s placement has ended, he still delivers these sessions on the ward for his colleagues and education is certainly an area he sees himself progressing to in the future. As his nominator shared: “Admired as a role model, he uplifts colleagues at every level by freely sharing his expertise, mentoring others, and inspiring confidence in practice.”

Page last updated - 02/12/2025

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