It’s been exciting and challenging but I’m enjoying it.' Positive decision 'I’m nearly qualified now and just waiting to sit my functional skills exams. I wondered if I still had the knowledge and the capacity to cope with the schedule, especially as I was combining it with my job and family life. English isn’t my first language and it had been more than 20 years since I was in education, so I doubted whether I could go back to university. She told me the Nursing Associate programme would be best for me.Ībout a year later, I was given the chance to apply for the programme, but I waited until the last moment to put my name forward. When I joined the charity, I asked the home manager if they would support me getting an NVQ 4 and 5. At the end of each day, I’m very satisfied I’ve been able to help them. I get to know the residents and support their day-to-day needs, which they’re very grateful for and that makes my day. I joined Royal Star & Garter as Lead HCA (healthcare assistant). It was completely different to my work in the Philippines and I loved it. What I wasn’t expecting was how much I’d enjoy caring for other people. I found a job close to me, which was ideal. When I came to this country, the only work I was able to do was in the care sector. In the Philippines, I worked as a public servant. I get to know the residents and support their day-to-day needs, which they’re very grateful for and that makes my day.' A rewarding role Royal Star & Garter is a charity providing compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia. She is nearing the end of her nursing associate course, which she began in 2020. She has worked at Royal Star & Garter in High Wycombe, since the care home opened in 2019.

Student Nursing Associate, Mercy Sharp, 52, was born in the Philippines and moved to England in 2007.

Office home and student 2019