Wingspan salutes and celebrates Filipino nurses saving lives around the world. In this monthly feature, we aim to put a human face on overseas Filipino healthcare workers. We ask them how they’re coping with the pandemic: what drives them, what their future plans are, and how they’re taking care of themselves.
Restrictions have eased a bit at the rehabilitation hospital in South West England where Filipino nurse Rowena Peñaflor has been assigned. Now with more people vaccinated and fewer cases of COVID-19, visitors are now allowed to see their loved ones in the ward and participate in taking care of their relatives. This has improved patients’ mental well-being, Rowena observes, shortening their stay in the facility.
Rowena has only been in the UK for less than a year, having been deployed only in February 2021. Before coming to England, she was a nurse in Saudi Arabia and flew back to her hometown of Santa Cruz, Marinduque, where she worked as a staff nurse at a district hospital while processing her papers for the UK.
While waiting for her UK license, she is working as a healthcare assistant at a rehabilitation hospital under the National Health Service (NHS) Trust in South West England.
“Most of the patients here are in stable condition,” she says. “They are basically waiting for a residential or nursing home to take care of them.” Her daily duties are a combination of medical, nursing and social support, assisting patients in their daily activities and feeding and washing them.
Promising years ahead
Rowena finds the work in a rehab facility “quiet and calm” and misses the challenges in an acute care ward. Once she gets her license, her plan is to transfer to a main hospital, where she can find a department and grow her nursing career.
Children’s health is a good track. “I really love working with children,” Rowena says, having worked as a children’s nurse in Saudi Arabia once before. She may have to take an exam for children’s nursing and attend further training and seminars to pursue this. But, she observes, “nursing in the UK is very promising. With the proper training, you can specialize in any field you want.”
Witnessing death, suffering
Being on the frontline during the pandemic has been an ordeal for many healthcare workers, including Rowena.
“I have seen many people die of the disease, and I have witnessed people suffering from the loss of their loved ones. No matter how advanced the technology is, it does not prevent people from dying,” she reflects.
The stressful chapter has made her appreciate the value of practicing spirituality and having God in her life. “There is no one I can ask for help and protection from but the Lord himself,” Rowena says.
It’s her family that keeps her going. “The reason I keep working every day is because of my family. I have to work and earn money for them. I want to give my parents and siblings a better life. Similarly, I want to earn money for myself. I love my job as I see myself as a parent to young children, a sister to my patients who are of a similar age as myself, and a daughter or granddaughter to those who are older than me. I think my vocation in life is to care,” Rowena shares.
To take care of herself and her physical and mental health, Rowena makes sure she gets sufficient time off work.
“Having a day off is so precious to me today as I can do whatever I want. I also want to escape the stress of my work,” Rowena shares. At the time of this interview, Rowena shares how happy she is because her mother, who is back home in the Philippines, received a birthday gift that she and her brother had prepared for her, even though it arrived a week too late.
During her days off, she takes the opportunity to explore the country. “It is very common here to travel during days off to breathe some fresh air and to see the beauty of England. Seeing wonderful scenery makes me calm and helps me escape from the stresses of work.”
Aside from staying in touch with friends who are nurses like her, Rowena also advantage of the counseling sessions offered by the NHS to manage her stress and anxiety, appreciating how supportive the institution is of their employees. She also makes sure she attends a daily online mass, which has helped boost her mood.
Post-pandemic plans
When the situation improves, Rowena hopes to travel a bit more without worrying about catching the virus. First in her list is traveling to mainland Europe and exploring different Catholic churches. She’s also looking forward to seeing relatives in Germany.
“Even though life here in England is shifting back to what it used to be during pre-pandemic, we still need to be cautious and not get sick.”
Wingspan is united with nurses and all healthcare professionals who have been saving lives around the world. The core of what we do focuses on long-term sustainability. We advocate ethical and socially responsible workforce solutions. We promote human capital formation and equitable economic growth in both sending and receiving countries. These are the essence of who we are and embedded in every decision we make. To understand our services, contact solution@wingspan-consulting.com.