For International Nurses Day 2025, we caught up with Ingela Oberg, Lead Cancer Nurse at Addenbrooke's Hospital. In this conversation, we hear about her journey, what keeps her inspired, and how she got involved in the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital project.
Watch Ingela Oberg's story, Lead Cancer Nurse, Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH)
Link: https://youtu.be/EMVL21rtseg?si=Tzoe1SsDrduFBiHU
With years of experience and a deep passion for patient care, Ingela offers thoughtful reflections on both the challenges and rewards of nursing. Here, in her own words, is a glimpse into her life and career.
Q: Can you tell us about your career journey? How did you get to where you are now?
So my career journey actually started in Sweden. I am an international recruit. I did my nurse training in Sweden. I was brought up in the Middle East and had lived abroad most of my life, so having finished my nurse training, I decided I wanted to see the big, wide world. I saw an advert for a job at Addenbrooke's, and decided I was going to come here for about three to five years to gain the necessary experience required to move on elsewhere in the world. That was 27 years ago, and I have stayed at CUH ever since.
Q: What drew you to a career as a cancer nurse?
Like many people, for me, it started with a personal cancer journey, not for myself, but I lost both my father and my younger brother to cancer. This was many moons ago. So I started my career in cancer as a specialist nurse working with adult brain tumour patients (my younger brother died of a paediatric brain tumour). I remember my mother telling me, when I got my first cancer job, that if they had access to a specialist nurse at the time of my brother's illness, it would have made their cancer journey and cancer experiences so much easier. They would have had someone to ask questions to and to help them navigate the pitfalls. Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) didn't exist in those days, so that kind of stuck with me, and I wanted to make a difference for patients, and for the relatives, and make the journey as smooth as possible. That's really how it all started.
"It's making a difference. You don't have to be clinically facing or ward-based to make a difference - everyone can make a difference."
Ingela Oberg, Lead Cancer Nurse
Q: What does your current role look like on a day to day basis?
On a day-to-day basis, it's very different as one day is never the same as the other. Predominantly, I am no longer a clinical, patient-facing nurse, but I lead the team of clinical nurse specialists that look after cancer patients, so my role is probably more of a strategic, managerial-mix type role. So every day I have lots of meetings, either one-to-one meetings with those that I line manage, or more strategic meetings with the integrated cancer boards, the cancer alliance, and other external peers and providers to try and improve the cancer care and experiences of our patients, their families, as well as staff members working across cancer services at CUH.
Q: What do you find the most rewarding?
It's making a difference. You don't have to be clinically facing or ward-based to make a difference - everyone can make a difference. Fun fact, I've never worked on a ward as I went straight into critical care, followed by specialist nursing. I think no matter how big or small your contribution is, you can still have an impact. I enjoy knowing that the things I've helped instigated 'from above' kind of filters down and has a real, tangible difference on the hospital floor to patients and staff.
Q: How did you become involved in the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital project?
As Lead Cancer Nurse part of that came with the role, so I hit the ground running when I moved into the post around a year ago. I'm heavily involved in looking at how we can alter models of care, how we can do things differently for the specialist nursing teams in particular, but all the other teams that will be moving across to the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital too - a real collaboration.
Q: How do you feel about the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital and what it means for patients and staff?
Addenbrooke's is a district general hospital for the population of Cambridgeshire. We are also a regional specialist centre and a tertiary referral centre. So within the area of East Anglia alone, we have around 12, if not more, referring hospitals. We are currently the largest biomedical campus in Europe, with all the amazing facilities that brings at our hands. So to be in a position where we can combine clinical aspects of the role, along with cutting-edge research, along with the knowledge and expertise of the University of Cambridge, I think it's an amazing opportunity, and I'm excited to see where that can take us and how that will transform future cancer care and services.
So for me what's probably most exciting is being able to develop and up-skill our own services and workforce, but also to work more in conjunction with all our regional hospitals, bringing cancer care to the patients closer to home, and improving standards of cancer care to all.
“The new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital is going to enable us to build on what we're already offering, and provide even better care for our patients."
Ingela Oberg, Lead Cancer Nurse
Q: What does International Nurses Day mean to you?
It’s a moment to pause and really appreciate what we do and what we achieve, not just as individuals but as a global profession. Nurses all over the world are making such a difference, often in difficult circumstances. It’s a chance to celebrate that, and also to reflect on how we can keep moving forward, supporting one another and improving care and patient outcomes. I think it’s also about gratitude- for our colleagues, our mentors, and the people who trust us to care for them. Despite recent hardships, I could not be prouder of the nursing profession, and I am a very proud international nurse too!
