This weekend marks International Nurses’ Day.

Nurses across the country will come together to celebrate the incredible contribution they make to people’s lives.

The celebration officially takes place on Sunday, May 12.

Four nurses from Southend Hospital, from a range of diverse backgrounds, shared their day-to-day experiences at work.

Some are from overseas, others are newly qualified, and some opted for nursing as a total career change.

They have one thing in common - their dedication to nursing.

Mollie Bloxall

NEWLY qualified nurse, Mollie Boxall has always been interested in working for the NHS from a young age.

She spoke about her journey into nursing.  Mollie said: “I went straight from studying my A-levels to the University of Essex for three years on my nursing degree, with many of my placements at the trust. I’m now on Shopland Ward as a qualified nurse, where I’ve been for eight months.

“Nursing was always something I wanted to do - my brother is a doctor.”

She added: “I wanted to be a nurse as I wanted to make a difference to people’s lives, improving their quality of life.  “I’m a caring person and I love talking to people and getting to know the patients who I look after.  “No two shifts are the same and I am constantly learning and developing new skills and come across different challenges every day.

“What’s great here is that you don’t stop being supported once you qualify.  “Throughout my first six months, I was given opportunities to go to training days to develop my skills further and these have helped me whilst working on the ward.  “Whenever I need advice on a matter, all the staff are so helpful and I always have someone to turn to.”

Keith Parkins

QUALIFIED nurse, Keith Parkin, was previously a flight attendant.

He spoke of his decision to take a completely different career path.

Keith said: “I’ve been a qualified nurse since 2012. Prior to that I was a flight attendant.

“I went back to college and started my training to become a nurse in 2009.

“All the way through my training I thought I was going to be a medical nurse but then I was given the opportunity to start here on Shopland Ward and that is where I have stayed. I’m now ward manager – a role I’ve been in for 14 months – but started as a staff nurse before being seconded in a trauma nurse role for two years. I then completed my orthopaedic nurse course and then the ward manager position came up.

“I really enjoy the part of my role that supports staff on the ward and helps grow our own nurses and supports them through their training. We’ve got some really good nurses, we work really hard as a directorate to support our staff and they are out there now being fantastic qualified nurses.

“I love nursing and I think it’s a really rewarding job. Every part of the team who looks after a patient, whether they are a doctor, a nurse, a physiotherapist or pharmacist, all make a difference in patients’ care. I like to think of nurses as the glue that holds it all together.”

Renan Olisco

ORIGINALLY from the Philippines, Renan Olisco, wanted to work as a nurse in the UK to improve and perfect his craft.

He spoke about the differences of being a nurse in the Philippines, compared with the UK.

Renan said: “I have been a practicing nurse since qualifying in the Philippines in 2011. Nurses over there aren’t well compensated and I saw the UK as a platform for me to practice my profession and develop my skills as well.  “I’ve been working at Southend since June 2017 and after almost a year of being a staff nurse I was offered a promotion for deputy ward manager - the rest is history. I’m really well supported in my role. All the staff, doctors, healthcare assistants, kitchen staff, really make you feel part of a team here. We are a family.”

Teresa Budrey, eastern regional director, at the Royal College of Nursing, added: “Every day nurses do extraordinary work for all of their patients, often going the extra mile to ensure patients receive the care they deserve.

“Nurses’ Day is a chance for the thousands of nurses working across the UK to come together to celebrate being part of one of the greatest professions, and a chance to celebrate the amazing work nurses do, and take time to talk to people about why nursing is so important and hopefully inspire others.”

Manilyn Briones

Working as a nurse for more than 12 years, Manilyn Briones, is also originally from the Phillippines.  She worked as a nurse in Dubai before coming to the UK to work as a staff nurse.

She said: “I’ve been a nurse for almost 13 years.

“My specialised area is in infectious disease and Intense Therapy Unit (ITU).  “For me, although it’s a new country and a new environment, nursing is nursing.

“The main difference between the two countries I’ve worked in are the cultures.

“I feel the people here are very welcoming and very pleasant and thoughtful.

“My main reason for coming here was to provide a good future for my family and my daughter.”

She added: “At first it was so difficult being apart from one another, as we lived together in Dubai.  “This is our first time apart as a family but keeping in touch via video chatting has really helped.  “It means we can still communicate and it eases the burden of being away.  “I’ve found the transition fine - for me it has all been about my career growth and creating a better future.”