Celebrating Nurses' Day - meet Yaggon Gwani

Yaggon Gwani initially saw herself as a doctor, but it was nursing that captured her heart.

The 27-year-old has been working on Invicta ward at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital for six months but spent four years working on surgical wards in her native Nigeria after completing her nursing degree.

She said: “I chose to study nursing and I fell in love with it. I love it when there’s a positive outcome after caring for people. It makes me happy.

“So much of nursing is the same wherever you are, for example caring for people or how to dress a wound, but there are more resources and opportunities here in the UK to expand my career as a nurse.

“I decided to move because I was looking for a change in my career, and a change in my environment, and to experience nursing in another country.”

There is a growing community of international nurses within East Kent Hospitals, with a WhatsApp group and regular meet-ups to offer support and help alleviate homesickness.

Yaggon also enjoys regular calls home to her parents and her siblings.

She said: “They are so proud, and they pray for me over the phone. When I can’t be with them it is good to hear their voices.

“I was nervous when I first arrived, but also excited because it was the beginning of something new.

“I was made very welcome, so kudos to my ward manager Pat Johnson and her deputy Patsy, alongside the pastoral support team who have offered endless support.

“My colleagues make the workplace positive, so I look forward to coming to work. There is always someone willing to help if you don’t know something.”

Her long-term plan is to move into education, helping to mentor and train other nurses, but for now Yaggon is content to continue caring for her patients on Invicta ward.

She said: “I love to care for people and leave them with a smile on their face – that is why I do this job.

“If in the future I can share some of my knowledge with other nurses that will be a real privilege.”