Nursing in the United Kingdom

Devon, United Kingdom

Nursing in the  United Kingdom

In August 16, 2001 I traveled to UK with other nurses who were recruited in Oman . Heathrow Airport, one of the busiest Airport in the world was our destination. That same day we  traveled by bus to South Devon,5 hours bus   from Heathrow airport. It was a very beautiful scenery on the way to Devon with   green fields,forest and as we go further are stunning  coastal views.It was a very scenic country.
Devon is England's third largest county with nearly 7,000 sq. kilometers of land. Sits the  two natural parks of Exmoor and Dartmoor, the coastal towns and seaside resorts of two coast lines, picturesque villages with their thatched cottages and charming inns, the industrial centers and a variety of ancient history.

There were 18 of us who were hired by the  Torbay Hospital of Devon. 
 Because of its excellent track record - one of the most successful Day Surgery Units in the country, runs the regional training center for consultants from across the NHS for the early detection of bowel cancer, it is very well regarded for the level of care the patients receive. 

Torbay Hospital,Devon UK

 Because of its success in reducing waiting times in many specialties, patients are known to travel from neighboring areas to Torbay Hospital for earlier treatment. Their service for stroke patients also have been ranked in one of the top few nationally.

Nursing in Oman

The Royal Hospital In Muscat Oman

August 1998, I was hired to work as a Labor and Delivery room nurse in the Royal Hospital in Muscat,Oman.
The hospital serves all the people of the region not just the Royal Family (there is a special Royal Suite for the Royal Family). The Royal Hospital is an acute tertiary hospital established in 1987.
It was one of the milestones in the development of comprehensive health services in Oman.
In 1998, almost 90% of nurses were expatriates from the Philippines,India ,SriLanka,Malaysian,Egyptians and Sudanis.The Chief nurse was an Irish.Omanization (the training and hiring of Omani citizens) had just started.The hospital has its own housing for nurses and other expatriates.

The  recreational facilities of the hospital  swimming pools,tennis courts, squash courts and super markets. These are available for all staff to use for free. These are provided not only as a way for the staff to maintain a healthy lifestyle but as an added incentive for staff recruitment. For this nursing placement all utilities, housing, food, medical and dental were included as part of my contract.

Due to the large number of expatriates (truly an international staff), the hospital uses English in most if not all of the daily operations in running the hospital. Most patients are Arabic speaking and very few can speak English. Many nurses have been at the hospital for so long that they will act as an interpreter for new nurses who can not speak Arabic.Again,the majority of nurses in the hospital were Filipinos followed by Indians.

In 2001 a recruiting agency was in Oman conducting interviews for the United Kingdom (England) and Ireland. Many Filipino Nurses were interviewed, several were hired and deployed very quickly. I was one of the lucky ones, ending my Royal hospital employment and given another opportunity to work in yet another country.