A nurse who came to the UK after an economic crisis in his home country says he can’t wait to return to his first love – working in the intensive care unit. 

Nader Mihideen, who came to work at the Royal Free Hospital (RFH) four months ago via the Displaced Talent Nurses scheme, started his career in Lebanon at the start of pandemic where he was sent straight to ITU to look after patients with COVID.

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“It was intense because I had just finished my nursing training and was sent straight there to look after very sick patients,” he said. “I had never seen so many people on a ventilator before - it was a quick learning experience but you had to do it.”

However, in Lebanon it wasn’t just the healthcare system that was in crisis during the pandemic, the country also suffered an economic catastrophe which saw its currency devalued by 90%.

Nader said that every month his pay packet was worth less and less so he was no longer able to support his family. He decided to look for work elsewhere.

“I applied to the Displaced Talent Nurses scheme – looking for jobs in other countries,” he said. “At first I didn’t hear anything back but then the Royal Free Hospital was in touch and I had an interview.”

The Displaced Talent Nurses scheme is delivered in partnership by the Department of Health and Social Care, Liverpool John Moores University, RefuAid and Talent Beyond Boundaries.

In the beginning it was aimed at supporting nurses living in the UK as refugees but it was then expanded to include refugees living elsewhere who would like to come to the UK and work as a nurse.

Nader said he also had to complete an English exam before coming to the UK and starting at the RFH as a healthcare support worker.

Early next year Nader, who is currently working on 9 west ward, will take his exam which will allow him to work as a registered nurse in the UK.

He said: “I would really like to work in ITU again as that is what I am familiar with – I can’t wait until I am qualified so I can start working as a nurse again and hopefully I will have much more opportunities.

“My brother is also here in the UK working as a nurse and there are other people here from Lebanon. It’s good to have people you know - you can share problems more easily with people who have been through the same thing.”

Nader said he had had a lot of support from staff on 9 west, including clinical practice educator Clareyn Gonzaga, who helped him get everything in place ahead of his examinations and the ward manager Joewe Legarda who Nader said is ‘always professional and helpful in the way he deals with his staff’.

“Cresilda Dagami the pastoral care nurse has also been so supportive,” added Nader. “She showed us around the area, supported us and let us know that we are not alone. She did a great job in helping us settle in and is always ready to help.”

Nader said he had adapted to UK culture quite easily and that he enjoys living in London.

He added: “The transport here is very good and the food is not expensive compared to wages – everyone here thinks it is, but when you compare it to Lebanon it isn’t. Although the rent in London is expensive.

“In Lebanon, everything is very difficult at the moment. Every week they run out of water and out of electricity - they run out of everything so even though it is hard to leave my family, I know I made the right decision to come here. It means I can help my mum by sending money to her.”

Rebecca Longmate, director of nursing at the RFH, said: “I’m delighted that Nader has settled in. Like all the nurses who have joined us through the displaced talent scheme, he is a very welcome addition to our nursing team.

“As a trust we work very hard to help nurses who come from overseas to acclimatise to the NHS and to living in the UK and I’m really grateful to Cresilda and her team who do such a wonderful job in supporting our newly-arrived staff.”