Majallel Llorin
Majallel Turiano-Llorin was a newly qualified Community Nurse in Ebbw Vale, South Wales when she first came to Wales from the Philippines to establish her career in nursing in November 2016. She worked as a Staff Nurse at Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan for 3 years and later transferred to Nevill Hall Hospitals a Staff Nurse in Accident and Emergency at the newly built Grange University Hospital.
When Majallel arrived in Wales, she hoped that her husband and daughter would soon join her here too. She has recently welcomed her husband, Francis, who moved from the Philippines last September 2020, and hopefully, her daughter, Irheena will follow as soon as adjustments with the pandemic allow.
Majallel explains:
"Having settled in Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale, she hopes to immerse her family in Welsh society and culture in the thriving and kind community. “Having trained and qualified as a nurse in my native Philippines in 2011, my mother encouraged me to consider following in my uncle’s footsteps and look further afield at a nursing role overseas. My uncle has enjoyed a long nursing career in London, but the strong sense of community and stunning landscape made Wales an obvious choice for me.
"The financial, emotional and educational support I received, in terms of a relocation package, friendly welcome and hands on help in passing the statutory clinical examination for overseas nurses working in the UK, made it very easy for me to settle into my new surroundings. I’m very proud to say that, as a result of this support, I became the first overseas nurse in my University Health Board to pass the required Objective Structured Clinical Examination.
"Community nursing in Wales is like being part of one large extended family. There is also a very well-established Filipino community here and this strong sense of belonging really helped me to fit in and took the edge off missing my family and friends back home.
"As a Community Nurse, I worked in a nurse-led hospital. The supportive environment quickly allowed me to practice and develop my critical thinking skills to work with patients to help them achieve their goals. As a result, my confidence in decision making and planning care grew. These skills stood me in good stead as I progressed in my career.
"Nearly five years in Wales, I can positively say that I have grown in both my personal and professional life. As a Staff Nurse in A&E, every day is an opportunity to serve the community and save lives. You never know what will come through the door of A&E – always an adrenaline rush. It was especially challenging when the pandemic hit. I worried about my own personal health, my family’s situation back in the Philippines, and my patient’s lives. At times like these, I always remind myself of my family’s undying love and to go back to the core of my profession which is ‘to dedicate myself to devoted service to human welfare’.
"Wales is such a welcoming and friendly place, it’s a great place to train, work and live and I would encourage other overseas nurses looking to relocate, to firmly put this wonderful country at the top of their list.”