60 seconds with... Deji Balogun
Deji Balogun is an apprentice and health care support worker who has been working in the Oncology Ward at St Bartholomew’s hospital throughout the crisis. Read more about what his role entails in this 60 second interview.
Please tell us a little bit about your background and how you came to work for Barts Health as an apprentice?
My name is Deji Balogun. I am from Nigeria and I came to London September 2004 as a student studying Computing which I completed.
I decided to change my career from an IT profession after working in IT for 12years to come into Health Care because I noticed that my personality is more about helping and caring for people. I came to this conclusion and made my decision because I found out that while I was in my IT role, I go the extra mile to make sure my clients are happy and I often do this at my own expense.
I started searching for NHS jobs and a good option I found was to become an apprentice because I had no experience in Health Care.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of my job is that I was able to care for patient and their family at the most difficult times and most of all, I was able to join the best team of selfless individuals working in a difficult and emotional area of nursing [Oncology], giving the best possible care any patient and their family could want.
What is the greatest challenge you face at work?
The greatest challenge I face at work is many of my patients passing away after a long battle fighting their Cancer. Seeing how some patients deteriorate from 100% health to zero within a short space of time despite trying everything to keep them going is particularly hard.
Who inspires you?
The team of selfless individuals of Ward 5A Oncology St. Bartholomew’s Hospital plain and simple.
What is it like to be an apprentice during the covid-19 pandemic?
It is different ball game. For an apprentice working in oncology like myself and working hard during the covid-19 pandemic has been tough but has given me invaluable experience and knowledge. It shows you how things can change so quickly and how preparations and plans are put in place equally as quickly. In Barts Health, I see that there are evaluations and changes in procedures every day to ensure that things are done right, and to keep everyone safe.
Overall it was a great experience; I have learnt a lot during this period because I am glad I was involved in the pandemic response.