21 years in Research! Hear from Sophie, who’s been awarded for 30 years’ service in the Trust.

On 6th June 2023, Sophie Stephenson, Lead GI Research Nurse at Bradford Teaching Hospitals, was awarded in the ‘Long Term Service Awards’ for over 30 years of service!

A photo of Sophie in her early years as a nurse at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Sophie started off her nursing career, aged just 17, at the Bradford School of Nursing, so “Bradford Royal Infirmary has always been my second home (I was born here as well)!”

Sophie shared, “After qualifying I worked on Ward 18 at the BRI for 9 years and then left to pursue a career in research nursing in 2002. This was 21 years ago but seems like yesterday which must mean I really do enjoy my job!

My research career has not only seen my workload develop and change but also the buildings around me. I began my research nurse job in a back corridor down in the basements of Radiology, often sitting in the dark with a reporting Radiologist which was fun! I now am surrounded by other like-minded researchers in the clinical research facility where we work on many varied studies and see our patients here too. I have stayed in Gastroenterology research as I enjoy working with both the staff and patients in the Endoscopy unit as well as the other trials we work with alongside the surgical team and the other nurse specialists. Research has been such a great career for me and I am ready for a few more years yet!”

Thank you to Sophie for all your years in service and in research!