Pastoral Care for Nurses on Arrival

Effective pastoral support will make a world of difference to the lives of nurses arriving in England.

England is a very diverse country and there are a huge number of world cultures and languages represented here, though this varies from one part of the country to another. Help people to use social media to connect with their peer group, make friends and contacts, and share information freely and quickly.

Different employers have used different models for the dedicated role in this area; a Pastoral Care Lead may be a registered nurse, or someone from a human resources background, or someone who combines roles.

NHSE/I launched the Pastoral Care Quality Award for employers in March 2022. Find out more here: www.england.nhs.uk/nursingmidwifery/international-recruitment/nhs-pastoral-care-quality-award/

The International Recruitment Toolkit from NHS Employers is a great resource, which can be used in conjunction with local planning and personalised resources for pastoral and professional support.

A summary of Covid-19 support is available here: https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/international-nurses-during-covid-19

University Hospitals Sussex has a good case study about the kind of support they have offered, including adaptations made to working during the pandemic: https://www.nhsemployers.org/case-studies/pastoral-support-and-induction-international-recruits

Links to the various international nursing organisations in the UK can be found on this page: https://www.england.nhs.uk/nursingmidwifery/international-recruitment/ . These organisations are not restricted to nurses working in the community but are very important as sources of mutual support.

There are good resources to support mental health on the NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

The QNI has a free TalktoUs Listening Service for all nurses working in the community. Find out more here: https://www.qni.org.uk/help-for-nurses/talktous/

Further details of the range of support offered from NHS E/I: https://www.england.nhs.uk/nursingmidwifery/international-recruitment/#support-offer

Examples of Job Descriptions of Pastoral Care leads to follow.

Obstacles of all sorts are inevitable in the international recruitment process, but it is important to embrace flexibility and stay positive and solution-focused.