Champika Dona – Star Alumni

Be the change you want to see.

“When I look back at my Florence Nightingale Foundation scholarship, I realise that its greatest impact has not been what happened during the programme, but what has continued to happen since.

The scholarship gave me something that is difficult to measure but transformative to experience: confidence in my own voice, leadership and potential to influence others.

The experiences, mentorship, networks and opportunities challenged me to think differently about leadership. I learned that leadership is not simply about the position we hold. It is about the difference we make, the people we empower and the change we are willing to start.

Since completing the scholarship, this has increasingly shaped the way I approach my work.

Through my quality improvement work, I have become more interested in creating improvement with people rather than for people. I have become passionate about psychological safety, empowerment, recognition and creating environments where staff feel confident to speak, contribute and make a difference.

Because ultimately, when we create an empowered and supported workforce, our patients benefit.

The purpose of everything we do as healthcare leaders is to create the conditions in which our teams can provide safe, compassionate and outstanding quality care and the best possible experience for every patient.

But the impact has gone beyond my workplace.

One of the things I am particularly proud of is starting Beyond the Boundaries – SJGH, a network connecting nurses who trained at the same nursing school in Sri Lanka and are now working in the UK. What began as an idea to reconnect people has become a space for sharing experiences, supporting one another and celebrating our collective journey.

My journey has also made me think about what I can give back to the profession that gave me my foundation.

I began my nursing journey in Sri Lanka, and I carry those roots with great pride. One of my longer-term aspirations is to use the knowledge, leadership experience, networks and opportunities I have gained in the UK to contribute to the development and support of nurses and nursing in Sri Lanka.

I may not know exactly what that will look like yet, but I hope that one day I can help create opportunities for nurses there, share learning, build connections and contribute in whatever way is most meaningful.

I have also created “Be the Change with Champi”, a podcast through which I can share stories, experiences and conversations that encourage nurses and others to believe in themselves, learn from one another and consider how they can create positive change.

For me, these initiatives represent a significant change in my leadership thinking.

I am no longer asking only, “What can I achieve?”

I am increasingly asking, “Who else can I bring with me?”

I have also continued to invest in my own development, beginning a PGCert in Education in Practice and qualifying as an ADHD Coach. These experiences have opened new opportunities for me to support, coach and empower others.

Perhaps the most important change is that I now feel more confident to step forward, use my voice and explore opportunities that I may once have hesitated to pursue.

The Florence Nightingale Foundation scholarship planted a seed. The experiences gave me confidence, the people gave me inspiration, and the opportunities gave me courage.

But the real impact is in what happens next.

The programme ended, but the leadership journey continues: through the people I support, the improvements I help create, the connections I build, the voices I amplify and, ultimately, the difference we make to the quality of care and experience of our patients.

I remain deeply grateful to the Florence Nightingale Foundation for investing in my potential.
It has taught me that leadership is not about waiting for the opportunity to make a difference.

Sometimes, it is simply about having the courage to be the change you want to see.”