A NURSE from Basildon Hospital has marked International Nurses' Day, which takes place tomorrow (Wednesday, May 12) marking the birth date of Florence Nightingale, by talking about her role and the 'excitement' that nursing gives her.

Nursing staff working through the pandemic have shattered the stereotypes of nursing and the world has seen first-hand the fundamental role nursing plays in patient safety.

Angelin Chatti is one of three Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust nurses who have spoken about what they love about their profession, and how it has changed since the time of Florence Nightingale.

Angelin is a medicine management nurse at Basildon and said: "No two days are the same and it is nice getting to know so many different people from different wards and departments. Nursing brings me a lot of satisfaction and I think to be a good nurse you have to have a passion for caring for those who are unwell.

"It's a great profession and we are there to help people, without question. I read once that if you save one person you are a hero, but if you save 100 you are a nurse."

Angelin has been at Basildon Hospital since 2007. Until 2018 she was a cardiothoracic intensive care nurse, but then decided she wanted a change. "That's the beauty of nursing; there is such a diverse world of possibilities and opportunities open to you that allow you to move sideways into a different area or up the career ladder. It's never been a more exciting time to be a nurse here."

Chloe Herbert from Broomfield Hospital says: "Of course it was all very different in Florence's day. Today, we all have voices and more platforms for discussion regarding changes and how we care for patients. There are a lot of male nurses and a lot of women are managers. I'm the first person to become a nurse in my family, and I love it."

Chloe first joined Broomfield Hospital as a bank healthcare assistant in 2009 and is now an acting ward manager on a surgical ward.

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It's a role that Chloe, from Writtle, loves. She said: "For me, it is the best of both worlds as you have both a clinical and an admin role. It's great to still have that essential patient contact and I have loved leading a team. You are really supported here to help you progress in your role and I'm incredibly proud that this is my local hospital.

"Covid has been a real baptism of fire, but I am so proud of the team I lead and I certainly wouldn't be the manager that I am without them. We've really pulled together, even when we were redeployed to help on COVID wards. We all kept in contact and helped one another."

Chloe went on to explain why she chose her area of nursing. "I've always enjoyed the surgical side of things as I'm fascinated by the modern technology. And I just love wounds! Nursing is a great job providing you have the compassion; it's a real vocation."

Courtney Granger is from Stow Maries and has been a nurse in orthopaedics at Southend Hospital for the last six years.

She said: "I did a placement here as a student and liked everyone I worked with so much that I decided to stay. Everyone just supports one another so much; we are like one big family.

"I chose to be a nurse as I wanted to help people; I couldn't have worked in an office. Here, you get something different every day, there's always a different challenge. You can also learn so much from your patients as well and it helps you appreciate life a little bit more.

"Nursing has moved on since I was a student. Today, it is a lot more technological, but when I first started it was very paper based. It's about getting that balance of people and technology right.

"It's definitely been a weird year, but that has helped us to appreciate all that we have, both with work colleagues and your family.

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"I think it has made people more aware of what we do every day and how we help people. Nursing is very much about supporting one another."