Hello my name is Reena, I have been working at Ashton Manor Nursing Home since 2016 and I work as a Registered Nurse at the home.

After high school I completed my nursing qualification in India and started working as a nurse, I wanted to make an impact on the lives of others and have a career that felt very meaningful to me. Being able to provide care and happiness to my grandparents when they were ill inspired my career path and I hold on to that memory still today.

Being a nurse is one of the most challenging jobs but also very rewarding, that’s the main reason I choose to work in healthcare. At first the work felt very physically and mentally challenging, but as the time passed it made me stronger and more confident. At the end of each day knowing that my care, touch, voice and time helped my patients make it through each day, is one of the most beautiful feelings.

I started working in Ashton Manor in 2016 as a Care Assistant and was then promoted to a Senior Care Assistant role. The first time I visited Ashton Manor I was very nervous but grew to feel comfortable and confident thanks to the friendly welcome from the entire team that really made me feel a part of the family.

Having previously worked as a nurse in India, I knew that was something I wished to do again. I had been training and working towards my nursing qualification but had narrowly missed out on passing the exams a couple of times. I found this very disheartening but was determined to continue working towards my dream. Thanks to the support of my colleague Sheena, who provided me with an employer reference, which my manager Carla counter-signed, I was able to meet the requirements and qualify for my PIN number last year.

"I wanted to make an impact on the lives of others and have a career that felt very meaningful to me."

Our Home Manager, Carla, has always been an incredibly supportive person since I first joined Ashton Manor. She helped me to adjust my shift pattern to fit with my family and lifestyle. Carla encouraged me to identify my skills and arranged appropriate training to help me develop, allowing me to get to where I am now.

I know Carla is always just a phone call away if I need her, even on days she isn’t working. She always says she is only 2mins away and is happy for us to call her if anything happens. Carla has even come in on her day off to do my competency checks to help with my training.

In April 2023 I received my PIN number and in May started in my new role as Registered Nurse. I am incredibly grateful to Carla, and to the CEO of Beritaz, Kumar, for enabling me to take on my dream role at the home.

While care work is physically demanding, I find nursing to be more mentally demanding and it comes with a lot of pressures. It can be very stressful, there is always lots going on and you have responsibility for clinical tasks, as well as for the care staff if the manager is not there. Each day at the home is non-stop and there is always something new to learn.

I start my day with a handover with the night staff before beginning medication rounds for the residents. Some days this can take a bit longer if residents are reluctant to take their medication, sometimes they are tired or not in the best mood, so you just need to take some time and talk with them. Working in a nursing home takes a lot of patience and you need to have a lot of empathy, working with residents with dementia means you can’t take anything personally.

Throughout the day, between medication rounds I work with the care staff to ensure the residents are receiving the care and attention they need. The care team may report things that need to be checked with residents which I will go and see to, alongside any tasks scheduled in the diary. Sometimes falls happen so I have to be on-hand to help the residents in those cases. The residents can sometimes get agitated, I am there to support the care staff to ensure the residents are feeling calm and comfortable.

I enjoy helping out with the GP rounds on a Friday afternoon, it is good experience for me and a great learning opportunity. Our local GP is really nice and very supportive, he is happy to explain things when I ask questions and I get to learn a lot through the experience.

I care a lot about the residents I work with, my favourite part of the job is seeing the smiles on their faces. During my time working at Ashton Manor I have made close bonds with each resident and developed a real understanding of their needs. After each shift, knowing that I have shared my care, passion and love, and that this has helped the residents to feel happy and satisfied, makes my day.

“I am really happy to be a part of the Ashton Manor and Beritaz Care family.”

A big part of my job is helping the residents’ family members who might be feeling sad, frustrated or worried about their loved one. I talk to them and try to offer reassurance, answering questions and providing whatever support I can. Residents receiving end of life care need to be closely monitored, sometimes I will need to contact the families to come to the home if we are concerned about the resident. Even in this sad time, I know the residents are happy to be surrounded by loved ones at the end of their life.

I am fortunate to be part of a really great nursing team, we all know how hard the job can be so we all support each other. We don’t want anyone to struggle, so if someone is in the middle of a task or gets delayed, we will step in to cover and support each other. The care team are also very good at what they do, they work well together and always have a smile on their face at the end of the day. Sometimes when they have had a hard day they will come to see me, maybe they need a hug or just time to talk. Everyone at Ashton Manor is there for each other, shifts aren’t always easy and unexpected things happen, so we have to support each other.

I have many wonderful memories from my time at the home. When I worked as part of the senior care team, we would all come to work and start the day with a group hug in the morning. Unfortunately, that had to change during Covid, but we do try to start our shift with a hug when we can.

The memory that will always stay with me is finding out I had received my PIN number and running straight upstairs to tell Carla. She hugged me and I was so happy I burst into tears, it was lovely to share that moment with her.

Every memory I have from moments with the residents mean so much to me. I become close to most of the residents I see regularly. Sometimes we have to say goodbye to them, which is really hard and you feel very sad, but you still have those memories with that person which makes them even more special.

I am really happy to be a part of the Ashton Manor and Beritaz Care family. This is my second home after my house, I know each and every corner of Ashton Manor. After this many years of working here I know exactly how the home works. There is always a good atmosphere here and I am happy to come to work each day.

Staff stories from Ashton Manor