“Prior to commencing employment in a nursing home in Ireland, I had experience working with elderly people in a medical ward in a hospital.  Patients admitted to the ward were discharged after a few days which meant I didn’t get a chance to get to know them and really support them.  

Working as a nurse in a nursing home in Ireland is different in this regard and brings a lot of responsibilities.  This varies from administering of medication and recognising any symptoms of illness to continually striving to boost residents’ wellbeing and safety.

Continuous professional development, training and education is very important within our sector. Bringing new ideas and learning from one's experience can improve our work patterns, safety and enhance residents’ quality of life.  You have an opportunity to plan, implement and develop in this setting.

I would advise anyone considering nursing employment within the nursing home sector that you need to bring varied skills, be compassionate and be capable of assuming responsibility and operating independently.  It is immensely rewarding and there is continual pursuit of excellence in this specialist field of nursing,”