The Chief Nurse of London on Leadership and Purpose: In Conversation with Karen Bonner MBE

May’s Monday Muse is a special edition to celebrate International Nurses Day on 12th May. This month, I sat down with Karen Bonner MBE, the Chief Nurse for the NHS in London, to discuss her lifelong ambition to become a nurse and the critical role nurses play in the healthcare system.

With almost 800,000 nurses working across the UK, nursing can often receive less public attention than other medical professions, despite being central to patient and community care. For this edition, I wanted to spotlight a nursing leader whose work has made a lasting impact. Following a recommendation from Prof. Frank Chinegwundoh, I connected with Karen, and from our introductory call, her warmth, clarity and passion for leadership made me so excited to interview her.

In this episode, Karen reflects on her journey to becoming one of the NHS’s most senior nursing leaders, the challenges currently facing the profession, and why she remains optimistic about the future of nursing. She also shares insights on compassionate leadership, leading through people, tackling healthcare inequalities, and addressing gender imbalance across the sector.

Get to know Karen:

Born: London, UK

Ethnicity: Bajan🇧🇧 and Jamaican 🇯🇲

If you weren't a Chief Nurse today, what career would you be doing: Still be a nurse

What do you do to switch off: I love the arts and I’m a music fan, so live music, exhibitions, films and travelling. Anything creative that gets my brain whirring in a different way helps me to relax on a regular basis

What is a book or podcast everyone should read or listen to: The Compassionate Mind by Paul Gilbert, and podcast-wise, anything by John Amaechi

Song on rotation: God Gave Me Feet For Dancing by Ezra Collective