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Be the difference in someone's life - become a care home nurse

by Jo Douglass, Parklands Nurse Manager

I have worked in the care sector for 24 years with the majority of this time spent in private care homes in Moray and Aberdeenshire but also a few across Scotland. I started my career as a care assistant whilst undertaking my nursing degree.

I qualified as a nurse in 2003 with a BSc (Hons) degree and worked as a staff nurse until 2016 where I moved into care home management, starting my first manager’s post in January 2016 in Forres.

Since then I have worked as a Clinical Support Manager, providing clinical support and peripatetic management support to multiple care homes which has given me the opportunity to gain many new skills and meet lots of lovely people, both colleagues, residents and families alike.

I completed my Leadership and Management award in the summer of 2022.

I started working for Parklands as Nurse Manager in August 2022 and feel very lucky to work for such a caring and committed company that genuinely puts the needs and happiness of their residents first.

In my role I manage the team of community nurses who are employed by Parklands to provide nursing care to their residents in Moray.

It’s a very forward-thinking model of nursing which I haven’t seen elsewhere. Our nursing team has a wealth of knowledge and experience which they bring to the group and are hugely committed and supportive of each other to ensure we provide the best care to our residents.

Our nurses are offered a competitive rate of pay, which has recently been increased, along with the flexibility to find a work life balance which, in my experience, is difficult to find elsewhere. As Nurse Manager, I meet regularly with my team as a group and individually to ensure everyone feels supported, and this goes both ways as they are often a support to me too.

Parklands has its own Training and Development manager who is visible in all the Parklands homes on a regular basis. The company is dedicated to helping its staff through additional training to enhance their job performance or gain future promotion. One of our nurses started their career at Parklands as a pantry assistant and has now nursed with us for many, many years. A number of our care home managers started their careers in nursing.

I have found Parklands to be a great company to work for, and with a busy home life with three children, they have been both flexible and supportive since I took up my post. They have a large number of staff who have worked for the company for many years and I can see that this is because staff are valued for what they can bring to their role.

I am a nurse at heart and love the privilege of being able to be an advocate for residents and support them to live their best lives. I find there are moments of joy to be found each and every day as we get to know our residents so well. There is always laughter and fun to be had in each home, and being able to see families through difficult times is something myself and my team take great pride in.

I think the NHS is fantastic, but working in a care home offers so many more rewards, both emotionally and financially. I would urge anyone looking to find a rewarding career in nursing which offers a work life balance and a supportive work environment to consider joining us at Parklands. You won’t regret it.

Parklands is currently offering a welcome bonus for new nurses worth up to £2,000 (terms and conditions apply). A nurse at Parklands working day shifts can earn around £39,000 a year based on a typical working week of 37.5 hours. Higher rates apply for night nurses. For the latest vacancies, visit parklandsgroup.com/careers