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  • 16 February 2021
  • 7 min read

From Auxiliary Nurse To Residential Manager - My Career (In Care)

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    • Mat Martin
    • Richard Gill
    • Laura Bosworth
    • Emanuele D'amico
    • Aubrey Hollebon
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Play video: "A job came up and it was for a deputy manager in a care home. I applied, I got the post"

"If something is really in your heart and you want to do something, you go for it." Jane made Care Management her goal. In her words, this is how her life and career path got her there.

From School Into Nursing

Hi, my name is Jane. And I'm absolutely delighted to talk today about my experiences in the care industry.

I left school, I had no qualifications. I went into a hospital close to where I lived and I became what they used to call as an auxiliary nurse but it was a glorified name for a cleaner and anything else that could be thrown in.

That was fine, I had no objection they put me into the geriatric ward which is for old people and I absolutely loved it.

At that time, we could use stout or Guinness for people to be able to sleep well. I knew if I wanted to qualify for a nurse I would have to go through a lot of training and I was young and I wanted to go out there and experience other bits and pieces.

Out Of Care

I left there, I went into work as an accounts clark, no good for me. I then went into another factory where I was packing, no good for me.

Then I sat down one day and thought to myself do you know what Jane, you're just going to have something that stimulates your brain but also can put your care that you have and I did have a lot of care and love for people.You have to put it into action.

Then I got married, had a child life, went on I did it a part-time job.

Went back into lettings, that was great, became a manager of an estate agents, that was great.

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Heading To My 40s - Thinking About Care

A then something came up. I was bored at home and I was coming up for 40 and I decided to go to college in the evenings with my mom's permission because she had to babysit and I did an iTech diploma in anatomy and physiology, I loved it.

I was fascinated by the human body, how it worked, how it operated, about the lymph nodes and the heart and the lungs and so forth and so forth.

And I feel wow, I wanted to become a doctor then I was 40 and taking a whole new career and having to work and to earn money I thought no, no, I can't go back because I have to go forward.

Caring For My Mother With Dementia

As the years went on my mother became very frail cut a long story short, my mother eventually got a diagnosis of having vascular dementia.

I started to read up about exactly what sorts of things is going to happen, et cetera and I had the passion to look after her.

I just needed the tools now to be able to work it well.

Back To Work In Care

My daughter was on maternity leave which enabled me to go back to work as a temp I went into a sheltered scheme where I was looking after elderly people who were vulnerable.

My mother got progressively worse, to be expected but she never knew that she had dementia no point in telling her, no point at all.

Consequently she had a very big stroke and it led to her death.

But I know with my hand on my heart that I can honestly say that I looked after her, I cared for her, I cooked, I cleaned didn't bother me in the slightest, it is a passion.

Deputy Home Manager

A job came up and it was for a deputy manager in a care home.

I applied, I got the post.

I have to say that my work in there inspired me then to work forward planning to become a care home manager.

So therefore I looked around for a post where that was possible the care manager that was in the care home as a deputy I was in had only been a care manager for four months so I knew there wasn't going to be an opening for me there.

However, we worked well together she knew what my plan was and she was happy to let me go and I put my CV out there to a numerous amount of care homes with an accompanying letter to say, I'm looking for a care managers post, but I'm happy to be able to come into your establishment to do anything.

And that would lead me then perhaps to the care manager that's what I, that's my goal.

Somebody rang me and said they loved the CV, wanted to see me, saw me accepted the post as a deputy manager with a certainty that the care manager that was there and who was also the owner of the care home wanted to have more family and consequently would I then when the time was right step up to care manager. You can also learn more about working under an agency.

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Get The Right Tools - Be Ambitious

If something is really in your heart and you want to do something you go for it.

I want to go to bed, I want to put my head on the pillow every night to know I have done the best I can for the people that I work with.

And if I can give you the tools that you need to be able to make a success of looking after people who deserve care and respect, transparency, dignity and choices, then I am willing to do that.

Nobody is the same, everybody is different and you have to be a good listener you have to be able to empathize with what they're doing so that you can change your character if necessary to a softer approach, not to be so bullyish et cetera.

It's important that you're kind and you're soft and caring.

I hope that I will be able to speak to you again soon and maybe even have a haircut cause I haven't had it done for over a year.

Thank you very much, indeed, bye-bye.

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About this contributor

I left school with no qualifications and became an Auxiliary Nurse (a glorified cleaner). I moved into geriatric care and then started a family and left the care sector for a while. After caring for my mother, who had dementia, I realised I wanted to return to care and set my ambitions on becoming a Care Home Manager.

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