A day in the life of Louie Tayag, nurse at Watlington

Louie is one of Sanctuary Care’s most loved nurses working at Watlington and District Nursing Home. Louie began his nursing career with Sanctuary Care in 2011 and has loved everything about working there since. Here he tells us his story…

“I first realised my passion for nursing when I was very young. When I was a child I was always was going to hospital, as I was prone to getting sick. The nurses that took care of me were so kind and caring, they really were a big part of inspiring me to be a nurse myself. Even though I came from a family of accountants and engineers, I always knew that I wanted to work in care.

“I decided to take up a bachelor’s degree in science and nursing in the Philippines. After qualifying as a nurse I worked in acute care for a year.  I was then offered a very exciting opportunity to complete the overseas nursing programme in England, so with little hesitation I came here in 2009.

“After working for Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust on a respiratory ward, I decided to look at job opportunities within care homes, and that’s when I decided to join Sanctuary Care.

“Since working for Sanctuary Care my career has just got better and better. I’d never set foot in a care home before, but as soon as I came here, I instantly knew that it was going to be the career for me.

“All of the staff at Sanctuary Care are so encouraging. The opportunities to develop and progress your career are endless. Here I have been asked what I want to do in my career and where I want to go in the future. Sanctuary Care gives you different opportunities.

“Here we’re one big family that always support each other. It’s the fulfilment I get when someone is ill and needs a hand to hold and I can make them feel better.

“Every day I go to work feeling happy and I go home feeling happy, I never don’t want to go to work. I love that every day I’m a part of residents’ and their relatives’ lives. We have such a close relationship with our residents that sometimes I can get attached, but I know it’s always important to maintain a professional relationship.

“One memory that has really touched me since working for Sanctuary Care is the time I spent with a resident who is 101 years old. One night she felt very ill and could barely speak. I stayed with her the whole night as she was getting scared. When she recovered she said that the simple act of not leaving her side meant a lot. She felt cared for, she felt loved and it was the nicest feeling to know that I was there for her.

“There’s a social stigma within healthcare that you are less of a nurse if you work in a care home. Nurses are worried that they will lose certain skill sets if they do not work in the hospital environment, but I can say that this is definitely not true. I’ve worked in both a care home and a hospital and my skills have only got better since starting with Sanctuary Care. You come into a care home and you’re a nurse, working in a care home setting does not make you less of a nurse – it’s just two different areas.

“Now is an exciting time for me as I’m a dad. I feel reassured having a career with Sanctuary Care because the pay is very good and my manager has been really flexible to fit my shifts with what’s best for my family and me”.

“I love my job here at Sanctuary Care, I feel that I have something to look forward to every day.”