Derriford nurse joins King to celebrate international colleagues
Hosted by King Charles on his 75th birthday, the royal reception highlighted the contribution of the international nursing and midwifery workforce over the decades of the NHS, with our very own Shadna representing UHP.
Shadna, who first started working at the trust in 2004, said: “As a child growing up in Mauritius we read a lot about the palace. Lots of people from my country would say how nice it would be to go and see ‘the Queen’s house’, so to have the privilege to be invited there was very touching. I can’t quite express how it felt to enter the palace and see all its grandeur; to listen to the choir; to be greeted by so many warm and polite people there and see our international NHS represented. Everyone wore vibrant colours representative of the countries that make up the international picture of the NHS, and it felt special to be a part of a historic event.”
The reception helped to mark the King’s birthday and was accompanied by a birthday song performed by the NHS choir.
“We all lined up to meet the King, and when it was my turn I wished him a happy birthday and told him I am from Mauritius. He knew about our hospital and we had a brief but pleasant conversation about nursing in Plymouth. He was extremely warm and welcoming and I felt very humbled by his interest in our Trust and what it is like for nurses here,” she added.
Jo Beer, Chief Operating Officer, nominated Shadna to represent UHP at the reception. “I am incredibly thankful for all of our international colleagues who provide such a valuable contribution to our Trust, and am so proud to see a more diverse and representative workforce every day when I walk around the hospital,” she said.
“I am constantly in awe of our international staff who practice their specialist expertise in a different language and in a different healthcare system. I know it can be difficult to adapt to a new culture and place of work, so I was really pleased to have the opportunity to nominate one our long-standing members of staff Shadna, to represent our UHP international colleagues and receive recognition for the compassion and kindness they show to our patients and their families every single day. She is an expert Emergency Nurse Practitioner, and supports a huge amount of international staff through her networks and experience. It is so important we continue to welcome new international colleagues into the organisation.”
Over 92 countries contribute to the workforce at UHP. Since 2019, UHP have been running international recruitment programmes which has seen over 782 new nurses from all corners of the globe enter employment with the Trust. In addition, 28 radiographers and 1 operational department practitioner (ODP) have joined alongside the cohorts of nurses. With over four years of development, the programme will see a further 19 more nurses and 12 ODPs join the Trust in January 2024.
For more information on international recruitment at UHP, visit https://www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/international-nurses/
