Overseas-trained nurses qualify to work in Essex hospitals
A group of 45 overseas nurses have celebrated passing their exams to work for the NHS.
The nurses joined the critical care units at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which covers Basildon, Southend and Broomfield hospitals, in January this year.
They were the first in the country to begin their training as part of a nationwide campaign to recruit more nurses into critical care.
By the end of the recruitment process, the team at the Trust will have trained 62 nurses, with 56 working in its critical care units and six at the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre (CTC) based in Basildon Hospital.
Charlotte Collings – one of those responsible for running the programme - said: “Many of our nurses have extensive experience working in critical care units in their country of origin, and we are fortunate that they have chosen to relocate and continue their professional careers in the NHS. This was a unique project as we were not only supporting the nurses to qualify in the NHS, but also to raise their skills in critical care.”
Nisha Sharma, a staff nurse in Critical Care at Basildon Hospital, is originally from Dehli, in India. She said: “Since completing my exams I have been helping the other nurses to prepare for their own, using my experience from the process. I’ve really enjoyed helping my colleagues and they have made me very proud, so I hope to continue teaching in my career. I believe that one day I will become a Charge Nurse.”