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International Nurses Day
Home care provider Venelle marked International Nurses Day by celebrating its exceptional team of international nurses who, through their clinical expertise and compassionate approach, enrich the lives of those we care for.
International Nurses Day is held on 12 May, which this year would have been Florence Nightingale’s 205th birthday.
Nursing is, at its core, a profession founded on care and empathy but also a deep expertise. And while the paths to qualification may vary across the world, the essence of nursing is universal.
Skills learned in one country can be seamlessly transferred to another, allowing nurses to continue making a meaningful difference, no matter where they practice – making it a truly international trade.
This ability to adapt is one of the most valuable aspects of nursing, and it’s something we celebrate every day at Venelle, which provides its services throughout London and the Home Counties.
‘I love being able to help others’
Take one of our Australian nurses, Mietta, for example, who, having graduated in Melbourne, has been a nurse since 2016. Her career has since been shaped by roles in orthopaedics and the High Dependency Unit, where the ability to make quick, informed decisions and offer compassionate care was paramount.
I asked her what she thought about nursing and she summed it up succinctly, yet beautifully: “What I love is being able to help others and knowing you’ve made someone’s day easier and better when they are facing difficult times.”
Mietta’s ability to blend clinical precision with a warm, person-centred approach is at the heart of what she brings to the team and it’s something our clients experience first-hand and value enormously.
Similarly, for another of our Australian nurses, Maddi, her journey into nursing, which began in 2019, is a testament to the resilience and adaptability of nurses.
Having worked extensively in haematology and oncology in Australia, she entered the profession at a time of extraordinary global upheaval. Yet, it is the human connections formed during her work that have left the most lasting impression.
‘I love making an impact on my patients’ lives’
“The thing I love most about being a nurse is making an impact on my patients’ lives. Whether it was holding their hand on their hardest days, brightening their day with a smile and a chat or helping them finally walk out the door after months of gruelling treatment. Those moments make it all worth it.”
It is these moments that define Maddi’s approach to care – and it is this unwavering dedication to the human experience that she brings to her work every day.
Sydney, another of our international nurses who trained in the Philippines and has worked throughout Manilla, exemplifies the qualities of commitment and compassion found so widely within nursing.
Having worked in community care, she places great emphasis on building lasting relationships with both patients and their families. “What I love most about being a nurse – especially in the community setting – is being able to build strong, ongoing relationships with patients and their families. Being out in the community allows me to connect with people on a more personal level and truly understand the challenges they face. It’s incredibly rewarding to be part of their journey toward better health and wellbeing.”
Sydney’s patient-centred approach speaks directly to our ethos of providing bespoke care that goes beyond meeting medical needs, but it’s also innate within her.
‘Passion for compassionate care’
Finally, I also want to give a nod to one of our newer team members, Grace, who brings a fresh yet equally valuable perspective. After qualifying as a nurse at the end of 2021, she started her graduate year in February 2022, having trained in Melbourne. Her experience is mainly in cardiology, though she’s also worked in various surgical specialties, including vascular and urology – something that underlines the varied requirements of nursing. What she loves most is the difference it makes in patients’ lives. “The most rewarding part is seeing the impact we have on both patients and their families” – a view that underlines her passion for compassionate care.
The experiences of Mietta, Maddi, Sydney and Grace speak to a wider trend in healthcare, where professionals are seeking careers that combine clinical expertise with a broader, lifestyle-focused approach to care. Their skills – whether honed in the demanding environments of orthopaedics and oncology or community nursing – are transferable, and they use these skills to create meaningful, life-affirming connections with the people they support.
Care is not a one-size-fits-all service. Each client is unique, and so too is their care team. The diversity of our international nurses, with their rich backgrounds and clinical knowledge, enhances the care we provide.
International nurses can ‘connect with people from all walks of life’
Our clients benefit not just from the technical skills of these nurses but from their ability to connect with people from different walks of life. This capacity for empathy, forged through diverse cultural and professional experiences, is what makes the care sector truly exceptional.
It’s important to understand that great care is about more than managing health conditions – it’s about fostering relationships and offering companionship, while also supporting the personal aspirations of those we care for. Our view at Venelle is that care environments, wherever possible, should seek to nurture independence and empower care recipients to continue living fulfilling lives – with the reassurance of knowing they’re supported by a team that truly understands their needs.
We take great pride in celebrating the profession of nursing but also those nurses who form such a vital part of our success. Mietta, Maddi, Sydney, Grace – and all the others who make up our team – are the living embodiment of the power of nursing.
Their skills and compassion, combined with an unwavering commitment to their clients enrich both the lives of those they care for and also the industry they work in.
You can find nursing jobs in the care sector on the carehome.co.uk and homecare.co.uk jobs boards.