‘A really inclusive feeling’: working as a nurse at Exemplar Health Care

This Tuesday, May 12, Exemplar Health Care is joining the UK’s 700,000 Registered Nurses, Midwives and Nursing Associates in celebrating International Nurses’ Day.

Exemplar Health Care has over 370 Nurses working across our 32 complex needs care homes. And today we’re celebrating the hard work and dedication of each and every one of them, and sharing what makes being a Nurse at Exemplar Health Care so rewarding.

Just like every day, across the public and independent sectors, Nurses will be working flat-out across busy wards, units, and people’s homes.

They may have just a few precious moments – or none at all – to temporarily remove some PPE to grab a much-deserved cuppa.

This year, which is also the Year of the Nurse, we’ve seen an increased focus on the importance of the role of nurses.

During this Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, alongside Britain’s other key workers - Doctors, Carers, Police, and Supermarket Workers - we now hear about Nurses in the media every single day.

So please join us in sharing and celebrating the fantastic work of our Nurses, who work tirelessly to make every day better for the people that we support.

‘Inclusive way of working’

Nurses with Exemplar Health Care work closely with a team of other Nurses, Support Workers and Health Professionals to support people with complex needs, in a community-based setting, And many of our nurses enjoy this close-knit and inclusive way of working.   

“It’s a really inclusive feeling,” says John Rouse, a Nurse at Copperfields, our newest Leeds care home which supports 30 adults with mental health conditions and complex dementia.

After starting his nursing career in an NHS hospital, John left in 2003 to work in the independent sector. He’s worked there ever since – and joined Copperfields soon after it opened in late 2019.

“I feel that with the support we get, like regular email updates from the CEO, you feel like you’re being considered, valued and talked to.”

“I feel that I’m more involved in making decisions, and working for an independent provider means that we can really plan and deliver care in a person-centred way.”

For John, an added bonus is that Copperfields, like most of Exemplar Health Care’s homes, is in a residential area – which means that his commute is only a 500-yard walk from his home.

“It’s the first time I’ve lived so close to work,” John says, which means that his work-life balance has improved.

Above and beyond

Another advantage of working as a Nurse  in a home is that you can get to know the people that you support in the long-term, says Giovanni Barison, a nurse at our Fairwinds home in Rotherham.

“In a nursing home you’ve got more time to build interpersonal relationships with service users,” Giovanni adds.

“You’ve got time to get to know people, so care is more personalised.”

In March, Fairwinds was rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

This rating from the care regulator places Fairwinds in the top five percent of all nursing homes in England.

‘Rewarding’

After starting his nursing career in Italy’s National Health Service, Giovanni’s now worked with Exemplar Health Care for five years.

Earlier this month, Giovanni was nominated for – and won –the company’s Above and Beyond award. On his unit at Fairwinds, Giovanni’s well known by his care team for his keen sense of humour.

‘Supporting people with mental health needs is very different,” says Giovanni.

“Sometimes it can be more challenging than helping people with primary clinical issues,” he adds.

Becoming a Nurse with Exemplar Health Care

If you’re interested in growing – or starting – your nursing career with us, we have lots of rewarding career opportunities for Registered Nurses (RGN, RMN, RNLD), Senior Nurses (Unit Managers), Clinical Nurse Managers.

Our 32 homes across Yorkshire, the Midlands, the North West and North East support adults with complex needs arising from neuro-disabilities, brain injuries and stroke, mental health conditions, autism, learning disabilities and dementia.

Working with a small group of people, nurses will be able to build extremely close relationships with their team and all the individuals they support.

There are also lots of rewards and benefits when you start working with us. You’ll get a £1500 welcome bonus, as well as additional financial bonuses if you refer a friend to work with Exemplar Health Care.

Our career development opportunities will support you to keep up-to-date and learn new skills and we’ll pay for your NMC membership and give you free access to the RCNi Learning platform to keep your CPD up-to-date.   

As a company, we offer all of our employees a robust support package including lifestyle and retail discounts, pension plan and a 24/7 employee counselling and support programme.

To start your career with us, visit our find a job webpage to find a role that fits you.