Healthcare Leadership Through the Eyes of a Clinical Lead Nurse

1-2 minutes

In this blog, you will learn:

  • How to develop your skills and knowledge as a Clinical Lead Nurse.
  • The responsibilities of a Clinical Lead Nurse.
  • How to stay up to date with the latest techniques, changes and advancements in nursing. 
  • How to overcome challenges as a Clinical Lead Nurse. 
  • Where the latest Clinical Lead Nurse jobs are and how to apply for them. 


Curious to know what it's like to lead a healthcare team while balancing patient care? We recently spoke to Clinical Lead Nurse, Ruby Romea, who completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in the Philippines before moving to the United Kingdom. 

Throughout her nursing journey, Ruby has managed complex care plans and navigated the challenges of overseeing a team, while ensuring high-quality patient outcomes. 

When visiting family, Ruby also volunteers in the Philippines in order to learn new practices and stay up to date with advancements in nursing. 

Throughout our interview, Ruby shares how her experience has shaped her approach to care and leadership and her insights on what it takes to thrive in the field of nursing. 


Tell us about your career path so far

I went to university in the Philippines where I spent four years completing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. 

The final year focused on thesis and research in practice for evidence-based nursing, it helped so much when I started out as it gave a picture of what I wanted to do. 

I changed my mind from pursuing a career in medicine as I knew I wanted to be a Nurse, especially in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). For those not familiar, I was basically a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurse and looked after newborns from the minute that they were born up until they were well enough to be discharged.

Something at the back of mind clicked and it just fit my vision of where I want to be in healthcare, and that was it. I forgot about pursuing a degree in Medicine. 


What inspired you to become a Clinical Lead Nurse?

I never planned on becoming a Nurse, I was originally planning on taking a degree in medicine but found that nursing was a more rewarding career. I found nursing to have more patient interaction as the Nurse would always be the first and last care provider that the patient would interact with in the hospital, or even in the community. 

Even though I have a bachelor's degree in nursing, I felt like I learnt more when I started to work as a Nurse. However, knowing your theory is crucial too and is the best starting point for your career as a Nurse! 


What does a typical day look like for you as a Clinical Lead Nurse?

A typical day for me will involve overseeing the development and implementation of personalised care plans, ensuring they meet the medical and emotional needs of our patients. I also spend a lot of my time on the phone to the pharmacy and chasing Doctors. 

I make it my priority to take care of my staff who take good care of our patients. I think it’s important to take some of the workload off them where I can. 

I also lead team meetings and performance reviews to maintain high standards of care delivery. 


What are the most challenging aspects of your role and how do you overcome them?

They say the patient’s family is a very challenging hurdle in healthcare, but I digress. I find staff conflicts much more challenging to deal with as staff can have different practices and opinions when it comes to certain things. 

I understand this as some of the practices that Nurses follow might be from where they used to work or are just outdated. They might have done things differently before and they’ve just thought this is how it’s done in our unit. This usually leads to disagreement or worse, verbal conflicts. 

When this happens, I usually sit with the staff, talk to them separately and understand each other's concerns. On some occasions I will pull up a training video or explain the rationale and indications regarding the disagreement. 


How do you ensure you have the perfect work-life balance?

I have mottos that I follow after every shift and it has honestly worked wonders. They are:

  • Never take your work home, don’t think about it and don’t talk about it.
  • Vent and forget.
  • Sit in silence for an hour and do nothing.

The role of a Nurse can be demanding, stressful and mentally overwhelming at times so it’s essential that you have a good work-life balance. I decompress myself after work, ready to take on the next shift with a fresh perspective. 

It’s also important to say ‘no’ at times, it’s healthy for you.


How do you stay up to date with the latest techniques, changes and advancements in nursing?

I love reading journals as I find that it helps me stay up to date. I’m subscribed to RCNi Journals as they have a vast collection of medical books that are very interesting to read.

I also volunteer from time to time when I fly to my home country, the Philippines, to get a different view of nursing in another country.


How do you continue to develop your skills and knowledge as a Clinical Lead Nurse?

To continue developing my skills and knowledge I take part in training as well as training other healthcare professionals such as the Nurses that work under me.

Doing this so far has kept me in the loop with current practices as I acquire and share the knowledge. It also helps me keep my skills in check as I show other professionals how to do things the best way.


What advice would you give to aspiring Clinical Lead Nurses hoping to enter the field?

I would encourage interested individuals to try nursing for themselves and see if they can visualise doing it long term. I thought differently when I first started out thinking it would just be a stepping stone for me getting into medicine, but here I am now, 9 years later and still a Nurse. 

I’ve influenced a number of care staff to go into nursing and some of them came back and are now working with me. It’s heartwarming and exciting. 

I would also say don't get discouraged about being a Nurse. It’s such an underrated profession nowadays but the value of being a Nurse and being able to help people is so rewarding and makes everything worthwhile. 

There are also different specialities you can go into if you prefer. Your choices are plenty, choose which makes you feel right at home! 


What qualities or skills do you believe make a good Clinical Lead Nurse?

You need to be strong and resilient, compassionate and empathetic. It’s not just about how smart you are, you also need to have the heart for it. 

It’s a very rewarding and beautiful career to take. People say it’s the same as any other job; however, I disagree. It’s different, but it’s a good kind of difference.


What do you love most about working in the nursing industry?

I love being able to say goodbye to my patient after they have been in the hospital or rehabilitation home for a while. It’s rewarding to know that my service has helped them recover.


Nursing jobs

If you’re searching for your next interim nursing job, why not take a look at the latest vacancies, or simply upload your CV to be notified when a relevant position becomes available. 


Struggling to recruit nurses?

As nursing recruitment specialists, we support NHS Trusts, local authorities and private sector businesses nationwide with their temporary, interim and permanent recruitment needs. 

We can supply nurses across all specialisms of nursing including adult, mental health, children, and learning difficulties.

If you’re struggling to fill a vacancy, why not get in touch with our nursing specialist, Kaylah Henderson on 01772 954200 to see how we can help?


Share your experience

Every individual brings a unique set of experiences, thoughts, and insights to the table. We believe in giving a voice to a community of professionals to inspire positive change and champion reform in the healthcare sector. 

If you work in the healthcare sector and would like to share your own personal and professional experiences, we’d love to hear from you. Perhaps you have a different perspective, could offer a fresh angle, or want to challenge assumptions. 

Simply reach out to our Head of Content, Nicole Sherwood, to discuss a collaboration which makes your voice count. 


Who is Spencer Clarke Group?

Established in 2017, we’re a vibrant and progressive recruitment agency based in the heart of the North West. 

We continually reimagine the recruitment process to challenge convention and defy expectations; from creating a better recruitment experience to remodelling employee engagement, we thrive off doing things differently and turning heads along the way. 

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