AN INTERNATIONAL nurse says she has never looked back since she started working with NHS Dumfries and Galloway.
Ann Camille Ilagan, known as Camille, joined the organisation in 2023 after arriving from the Philippines.
A year-and-a-half later, Camille was appointed to the role of Clinical Nurse Specialist for Gastroenterology and Hepatology. She said: “From nurses to doctors to managers, administrative and recruitment staff, I have received amazing support all round.
“Like me, hundreds of Filipino nurses arrive in the UK each year. My whole experience here has been nothing short of excellent and I have never looked back.
“Nursing is a continued learning progress and I have no intentions of stopping, especially when this will benefit not just myself but the patients I see every day.
“My main objective is to manage our patients at home and prevent any hospital stays as much as possible. There is a lot of incredible work happening in our communities.”
Prior to arriving in Dumfries, Camille finished her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2011. For 13 years, she worked as an adult and paediatric nurse, covering general medicine and surgical wards including maternal and neonatal. She continued: “When I first came to Dumfries, I was assigned as a staff nurse for the Combined Assessment Unit/Acute Medical Unit
“I quickly learned all of the vital skills essential to the running of the Combined Assessment Unit, and I feel very fortunate to have worked with such a good team.
“Thanks to their encouragement, I applied for a Band 6 position as a Clinical Nurse specialist for Gastroenterology and Hepatology and I have never looked back.”
As well as working in a great role, Camille revealed that she loves working within a rural setting, adding: “Back home in the Philippines, I lived in different cities and much bigger places. The peace and calmness of being in a rural environment is totally different.
“I do miss my home country, but without a doubt I adore the beautiful scenery and great people. This means I am less homesick.
“One of my biggest highlights was attending a reception with King Charles at Buckingham Palace in 2023.
“I felt very overwhelmed when I was nominated and what an amazing experience.”
