Hospital team up for award after recruiting 230 international nurses in Essex
An extra 200 international nurses are now working in local hospitals thanks to a dedicated group of recruiters, who have now been shortlisted for a national award as a result of their efforts.
It’s meant that hospitals across Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust – including Broomfied, Southend and Basildon - have welcomed extra nurses from overseas during a challenging period as the NHS dealt with the Covid pandemic.
The Trust’s international recruitment team have been shortlisted in this year’s Best International Recruitment Experience category in the Nursing Times Awards.
Diane Sarker, chief nursing officer for the Trust, said: “In a very difficult year, our recruitment team have done some truly incredible work, which has seen us welcome 230 new nurses into our teams, including over 40 specialist nurses into critical care.
“Their efforts have made a huge difference to the morale of staff, but also to the lives of our patients throughout the pandemic.
“They have gone above and beyond to look after our new nurses, and very much deserve this recognition.”
The international recruitment trio of Vicki Huxter, Thea Towers and David Cooper, worked throughout last year to help ensure a fresh workforce from overseas were able to come and join the Trust.
Between April 2020 and May 2021, they helped new nurses to secure accommodation, organised care packages for their arrival, signposted them to support services, all while ensuring their checks and visas were in order to help them start working in the hospitals as quickly as possible.
Taneal Dalton, head of permanent resourcing at the Trust, said: “Last year was an extremely tough year for all recruitment activity, but particularly international recruitment – because the pipeline we were working with changed frequently and rapidly.
“The team’s enthusiastic and tenacious attitudes deserve to be celebrated so we are incredibly proud that they have been shortlisted for this national award.
“The fact that they have been recognised by one of the biggest nursing publications in the UK is an accolade in itself.”
Winners will be announced in November.