Carol

I feel it’s more autonomous in a care home setting and you’re able to use your initiative and decision making skills as you’re not going to have a doctor there all the time.

I’m also able to use a wide variety of my clinical skills as you have to do a bit of everything rather than being trained finely in a certain area.

Yes, Working in a care home develops your confidence and holistic skills to ensure residents and relatives are happy.

I’m not only looking after our residents but I also need to support the families too as they’re adjusting to their loved one being in a home. Also, many of our residents find it difficult to verbalise their needs, which means I need to advocate for them when speaking to the family and health services.

As a nurse in a care home, you have to understand them, their family and their beliefs to give them a rounded package of care, meaning you are developing more than just your clinical skills.

The care home I work in is a very friendly environment to work in and everyone is really supportive. We have a close-knit team and we all pull together to ensure we give great care to our residents. I also enjoy building close relationships with our residents and their families.

I have a great work-life balance! For people with children it’s ideal as you can have a good bit of time off due to the structure of the shifts.