National Nursing Week: Infection control leader and GBC grad Barley Chironda takes his talents to the U.S. for a new role with Clorox

Following his mother's footsteps, Barley Chironda pursued nursing and he credits the education he received at George Brown College for laying the foundation of a career full of progressive challenges, travel and lifelong learning. 

Chironda recently relocated to San Francisco, California, to take on an exciting new role as national infection preventionist and clinical solutions director at Clorox. He was previously with Clorox Canada for eight years, first as a business development and infection control specialist, then as national healthcare sales director and international infection control specialist. 

"My role now in the U.S. is building off some of the success that we had in Canada, where we spurred growth and improved customer relationships using the clinical expertise I gained from my time at George Brown," he said. 

Steady career progression 

After graduating from the Practical Nursing program in 2009, Chironda took deliberate steps to advance his career and land leadership positions. He started working as a practical nurse in long-term care and shifted to Michael Garron Hospital, where he worked as a registered practical nurse and became a senior infection control and prevention practitioner in less than two years. He then moved to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he became manager of infection control and medical device reprocessing. 

Chironda said that throughout his career as a nurse and infection control professional in hospital settings, he never passed up an opportunity to participate in professional development or public speaking. In 2016, he was recruited by Clorox Canada (clients from his role at St. Joe's), and he continues to develop his skills and move ahead with the company. He earned his Master of Science in infection control from the University of Essex and is continuously developing academically and by speaking at conferences. 

"I think my time at George Brown was a foundation and a jumping-off point for many things," he said, "and my career, so far, has been a product of delving into opportunities that have been presented." 

Now, Chironda is focused on connecting with and learning from leaders in their fields. Most recently, he met with a renowned American sales professional he admires. He calls these meetings follow-up Fridays. 

"Every Friday, I book two or three meetings with somebody leading in their craft, and I can interview them as a means to learn," he said. 

PANDEMIC LESSONS APPLIED TO A NEW ROLE IN THE U.S. 

Chironda said lessons learned from the height of the COVID-19 pandemic prepared him well for his role south of the border, where he's working with clients on a much larger scale. With Clorox Canada, he sold products to hospitals and consulted with clients in Canada and around the world, including educational facilities, entertainment centres and hospitality organizations. 

Now, he's focused on providing clinical solutions and infection control support for American health care both in acute and long-term care facilities, as well as ambulatory settings where care is provided outside of a hospital setting — a large and growing field. 

"The role is focused on supporting the health care customers and our sales team that work with them as well as supporting our other customers, such as distributors and people who sell into the space,” he said. 

Ambulatory surgical centres are among the fastest growing segments of U.S. health care, he said. “They are huge.” 

HOW THE SALLY HORSFALL EATON SCHOOL OF NURSING SET HIM UP FOR SUCCESS 

While technical skill and knowledge were key, Chironda said skills gained outside the classroom benefited him greatly. He studied with students from diverse backgrounds, culturally and socio-economically. Many of his classmates were parents, so group work sessions had to be carefully planned to consider family schedules and commitments. This also helped him hone his time management, empathy and communication skills. 

"It prepared me to work with people from different places, to be inclusive, and to understand the diversity, equity, inclusion — all those components." 

"The practical nursing program challenged my brain in terms of being well-rounded and able to deal with adversity, being creative and working in partnership and collaboration." 

NURSES ARE THE FABRIC OF HEALTH CARE 

Chironda wishes to thank nurses "for all the work that you do." 

"I know nurses are that fabric that keeps the health care system running and held together. They are the centre of that hub, spoke and wheel," he said. 

"I believe nurses are well positioned to take many opportunities in leadership if they step up, are hungry and eager to learn. If there's anything that I can do to motivate and inspire anyone, find me on LinkedIn." 

Find Barley Chironda on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/barleychironda.