Mark Delabajan

 I am one of the IEN's who came to the UK in 2010 from the Philippines. I graduated with BSc in Nursing from the University of Eastern Philippines (2005) and was awarded 'cum Laude' (a latin term meaning distinction) on finishing my degree. I initially worked as staff nurse in one of the hospitals in Manila, Philippines (National Children's Hospital) before venturing to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to work as ED staff nurse in 2007. In 2010, I decided to come and work here in the UK and landed a job in one of the EMI units in Leicestershire. I then applied and eventually got my first stroke post at Blackpool Victoria Hospital as staff nurse. From then, I have developed interest in stroke management specifically around the hyperacute management of stroke. From being a staff nurse, I progressed to a charge nurse/stroke specialist nurse role and eventually completed my MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice degree. I am now a stroke nurse consultant at East Lancashire Hospital.

I wish to be part of the growing stroke nurse's community with the same goal of improving stroke care, to establish network with other stroke clinicians and most importantly to be able to contribute to shape the future of stroke nursing in the UK in line with the best available evidence and research. I have been heavily involved in clinical pathways development in Lancashire and South Cumbria ISNDN and authored three regional policies for stroke in LSC. I have also been involved in the configuration of the stroke services across Lancashire and South Cumbria stroke network which is now on its 2nd phase of implementation. From personal achievements, I have been awarded by BTH as a runner up in the service innovation category for reconfiguring the stroke pathway at BTH, I was commended as quality improvement champion by SSNAP (2018) and won in the poster presentation for acute category  in the national stroke conference in Telford (2018).