Stay and Thrive: Joseph Ensong

'Stay and Thrive' is a Trust led programme that sets out a clear need for more people, working differently, in a compassionate and inclusive culture, across our systems. The programmes aim is to help recruited nurses from overseas to settle, build a career, and to stay in the NHS.

Joseph Ensong, is one of the Trusts international recruited nurses who joined the Trust from the Philippines to thrive within his career. This is his story...

Hello, my name is Joseph Ensong, I am a Robotic Clinical Specialist at Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

I first came here to the UK in August 2019, to start my career with the Trust after applying and accepting this job as a leap of faith.

When I started at the Trust, I had little knowledge about Yorkshire (and England) so when the clinical specialist post was available to apply, I had doubts on whether it was the fit for me, as I was coming from a hospital in my country of birth that does not provide these kind of surgeries. However, I knew I wanted to progress my skills set, so I applied and was successful.

I came to Wakefield and was deployed to the ward pre objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE), this programme supports international nurses while they take their exams. All international nurses must have an OSCE to work in the UK. I did this before going to theatres.

Coming from the Philippines, operating theatres was not a stranger to me. I had worked in that speciality in nursing for years, so I felt comforted to know I’d to be placed in this area where I could provide my skills. As time went by, I started learning more by working in laparoscopic surgery. I was put forward with enough training and have been supported by my colleagues and managers to reach where I am today. It took me some time to adjust to the systems, but the principle and objective were still the same, which is to provide optimum patient care.

Since then, I have also started in robotic surgery, something that was very new when I arrived, so we all learnt together. It was a new challenge but I was interested on learning. It has fascinated me on how robotic surgeries are benefitting both surgical teams and patients across the NHS.

Working for the Trust is the probably one of the best decisions that I have ever made in my career. The Trust has always been welcoming to me and not once have I felt that I was treated different from anyone else. I’ve learnt that it is an organisation where everyone treats each other with respect, working together to deliver the best outcomes whilst staying true to the Trust values.

As an International Nurse, leaving my country for the first time to develop my career and experience new things was scary, but the Trust has been there for me from the moment that I have arrived and continues to do so to date.

I would recommend my fellow Filipinos to work for the NHS especially at Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust.