Airish Saluta

Why am I supporting Internationally Educated Colleagues?

Supporting our international colleagues is very close to my heart as I have lived the experience of being an internationally educated nurse myself. The support provided by my work colleagues and friends when I was new in England and was just starting my career in DBTH has truly helped me in adapting to the new culture, place, and ways of working. To add to this, being thousand miles away from family is another challenge to deal with. Those people supported me in integration both at work and in the community, they were my angels who guided me in working in the NHS looking after our patients. If not for them, I would have found it more difficult to settle in and may have not given the best of me as a nurse.

As a way of paying forward, I would like to raise funds to support programmes and events for our overseas colleagues in DBTH that would support their adaptation, integration, living and not just surviving, and to stay and thrive in DBTH and Yorkshire community. Looking after the wellbeing of our colleagues, and improving the culture in workplace and experiences will boost workforce retention and improve patient care and safety.