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Fiona Akpeki, sexual health worker

I qualified with BSc Nursing from King's College London in September 2004. I was assisted with a grant from the Elizabeth Nuffield Educational Fund which took a lot of pressure off me during the last two years of the course. I strongly believe that without this assistance I would have had to quit.

I realised in my second year that my main interest was in sexual health and HIV, with a bias towards women.

Following qualification I started work in the genitourinary (GU) clinic at Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Trust. During my time working within the Sexual Health Clinic I obtained a Certificate in Professional Practice in Exploring Sexually Transmitted Infections from Thames Valley University.

AFter six months of GU nursing, I was offered a job within the HIV outpatients unit which gave me an opportunity to develop my skills and knowledge in the area of HIV nursing and management. I then started the Family Planning Practitioner Skills course at King’s College London and now have the skills to work as a Sexual and Reproductive Health nurse. I have recently been taken on by my local Primary Care Trust to cover clinics on an ad hoc basis.

Apart from my job I also work with The Haven, a sexual assault and referral centre based in Kings College Hospital London, as a crisis worker, in which I assist victims and the forensic examinations doctor.

I find all the work I do challenging, inspiring and extremely satisfying.

Last Updated Thu, 6 July 2006