Charity Recognises its Nurses Commitment and Dedication

FRIENDS of the Elderly, the charity which runs care homes, day care services and a grant-giving service for older people living on low incomes throughout England, is honouring this month’s National Nurses Day by celebrating the commitment and dedication of the nurses within its caring teams.

The charity has 12 registered nurses working throughout its care home and daycare services, who all have an unwavering commitment to making a difference in older people’s daily lives, supporting them to live well in later life.

Rachel Wilson, the Registered Manager at Friends of the Elderly Malvern is just one of the Registered Nurses in the charity’s team. She said:

“Since I was young, I’d always wanted to be a Nurse – to be able to care, support and look after people, is my calling.”

Rachel studied at The Queen Elizabeth School of Nursing in Birmingham with a focus on Palliative Care. Prior to joining Friends of the Elderly, Rachel worked in hospitals and a hospice in Solihull.

Rachel added:

“When I worked in the hospitals, I found Neurology fascinating and complex. It was lovely to see the patients recover from their injuries and illnesses.”

To ensure she keeps up-to-date with any changes, advancements, the latest practices, and standards and to help with developing new skills, Rachel undertakes a continuous and regular revalidation with The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). This is the process that all Nurses, Midwives and Nursing Associates need to go through to renew their registration. Rachel also attends sector conferences, regularly trains and keeps up-to-date with all the nursing journals.

Talking about her decision to move into caring for older people, Rachel said:

“I had been in my previous role for 20 years and achieved what I wanted to achieve, so felt it was time to explore other avenues. I was previously an Inpatient Unit Manager so, along with my nursing skills, I have many additional transferrable skills such as safe staffing levels, symptom management, staff training, supporting staff and, of course, patient care to be able to work in the Care Sector supporting and looking after older people.

“In 2015, I was delighted to become the Registered Care Home Manager at Perrins House, which is dedicated to nursing care at Friends of the Elderly Malvern. I love being a part of a caring team that devotes each day to keeping our residents motivated, engaged and safe. Their health and well-being are our main priority and Perrins House is their home. We are a family and all the team work to make each day a good day for each resident.”