AN INTERNATIONAL nurse says she has never looked back since she started working with NHS Dumfries and Galloway.
Ann Camille Ilagan, known as Camille, joined the organisation in 2023 after arriving from the Philippines.
A year-and-a-half later, Camille was appointed to the role of Clinical Nurse Specialist for Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
She said: “From nurses to doctors to managers, administrative and recruitment staff, I have received amazing support all round.
“Like me, hundreds of Filipino nurses arrive in the UK each year. My whole experience here has been nothing short of excellent and I have never looked back.
“NHS Dumfries and Galloway has given me the opportunity to learn and progress in my career.
“Nursing is a continued learning progress and I have no intentions of stopping, especially when this will benefit not just myself but the patients I see every day.
“My main objective is to manage our patients at home and prevent any hospital stays as much as possible. There is a lot of incredible work happening in our communities.”
Camille is among the 33 nurses, 13 allied health professionals and one midwife resulting from the international recruitment campaign since 2022.
Prior to arriving in Dumfries, Camille finished her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2011. For 13 years, she worked as an adult and paediatric nurse, covering general medicine and surgical wards including maternal and neonatal.
She also worked an Embassy Nurse for Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
In recent years, Camille worked as a COVID nurse where she cared for critically ill patients in the Philippines before becoming a vaccinator in a community setting. She has also explored the work of a clinical educator for students where she lived.
She revealed: “When I first came to Dumfries, I was assigned as a staff nurse for the Combined Assessment Unit/Acute Medical Unit.
“My CAU days most certainly gave me the knowledge I have now as a UK registered nurse.
“I quickly learned all of the vital skills essential to the running of the Combined Assessment Unit, and I feel very fortunate to have worked with such a good team.
“Of course, my experiences would not have been possible without the support of all of the International Recruitment Team, Workforce, Clinical Educators and our Practice Development Nurse who worked so hard to prepare us for our exams.
“Suzy Saunderson, Claire Walker and Carla Young gave 101% to help in my transition to be the UK and helped me to settle in.
“Thanks to their encouragement, I applied for a Band 6 position as a Clinical Nurse specialist for Gastroenterology and Hepatology and I have never looked back.
“I am in a job I love with a very wonderful team. A special shout out to my senior nurses Sarah Gillan and Julie Gorman for continuously supporting me towards my development.”
As well as working in a great role, Camille revealed that she loves working within a rural setting.
She said: “Back home in the Philippines, I lived in different cities and much bigger places. The peace and calmness of being in a rural environment is totally different.
“I do miss my home country, but without a doubt I adore the beautiful scenery and great people. This means I am less homesick.
“One of my biggest highlights was attending a reception with King Charles at Buckingham Palace in 2023.
“I felt very overwhelmed when I was nominated and what an amazing experience.”
