We are celebrating our first cohort of international nurses as they mark their 20 year anniversary since joining the Trust this week.
This week marks 20 years since the Trust welcomed over 40 nurses from the Philippines to help boost nursing levels.
Ava Deperio, Advanced Clinical Practitioner, who was 23 when she made the decision to move to the Isle of Wight, started her NHS career as a staff nurse in Theatres.
“I can’t believe it has been 20 years. When I look back, I feel really proud of what I have been able to achieve and I hope it inspires other people, locally and internationally to join the Trust.
“I have been able to make the Island my home. I met my husband here and we have had a family who love it here. In the Philippines I used to live just outside Manilla in a large city. I have loved the transition from city to Island life, it has been a great place to have my children grow up in. I love the solitude it brings as well, I definitely feel recharged when I come back to the Island after visiting friends and family on the mainland or abroad.
“Career wise I have been encouraged to really develop my skills and I am now an Advanced Clinical Practitioner in the Critical Care Outreach Team. Everyone from the HR Team to my managers have supported me to realise my potential in the NHS.
“It is great to see even more nurses join our Trust from other nationalities and it is wonderful that some of our more recent cohorts are getting the opportunities to grow their careers too.
Neldy Javier, a Staff Nurse in Recovery Main Theatres, helped to organise a recent celebration event for the original cohort to mark this special milestone said:
“I have been really happy since I moved to the Island and joined the Trust. My children were young when they came here and they want to stay on the Island now.
“I felt so welcomed when I arrived by the community and my colleagues. I am so happy in my job and although I will be retiring soon I will be returning can’t wait to return as my experience has been so positive.”
Juliet Pearce, the newly appointed Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals, was on hand to present the remaining members of the cohort with a thank you gift and a memento to mark the occasion.
Juliet said: “It is so important to recognise the huge contribution that our international nurses have made to our Trust and Island community over the past 20 years. They are invaluable members of our team and the boost our international staff provide to our NHS has been crucial as we continue to face the challenges of the pandemic.
“It is a brave decision to move away from your friends and families and relocate to come and work in another country. I am delighted that our nurses have made the Island and our Trust their home and been able to develop their careers with us.
“I would therefore like to say a big thank you for their commitment and I would like to wish our very first cohort of nurses from the Philippines a very happy anniversary as they reach this significant milestone in their NHS careers.”
We have a successful international recruitment programme, which supports the NHS Long Term Plan and NHS People Plan in ensuring our healthcare services have a skilled workforce that provide high quality care.
Jackie Humphries, Resourcing Manager said: “It is wonderful to celebrate this milestone and the success of our international recruitment. Our Island have benefited from the expertise, commitment and compassion of staff who have come to work in the NHS.
“In the last 5 years, we have welcomed over 200 nurses from across the world including Nigeria, India and the Philippines and we are proud that our diverse workforce, reflects our diverse community.”
The Trust looks forward to welcoming a further 59 new international team members in the coming months up to February 2022.
