Upon meeting Ancy Jogy Jacob, it is obvious to see why the Clinical Practise Educator won the All Smiles award at last year’s Internationally Educated Colleagues Celebration Day.
A smile from a nurse can convey acceptance, build trust, help address emotional needs of patients, and reduce stress for patients and families.
Ancy’s smile is infectious, and it was even wider when her name was read out as an award winner last year.
She said: “I felt really privileged to receive that award and it felt like an appreciation of what you do. It was really special, and emotional, it felt like your work is being recognised.
“It’s really good that the International Nurses are celebrated, coming from a different country does feel quite scary initially – even though nursing and medicine is similar, policies can differ, and it can be quite daunting.
“We all learn English in India, but when you come over, the accents can be hard to understand, I used to look at people’s mouths to try and work out what they were saying, but you get used to it. Language is very important as you have to connect with your patients, they use local dialects, so you have to understand them.
“A smile is great to help people feel comfortable and at ease, and I was so proud to win the award for All Smiles.”
Ancy’s award could equally have been for her long service, after coming to the country in one of the earliest cohorts from India at the turn of the millennium.
Ancy did a degree in nursing, qualifying in 1999, and worked in the renal unit in Punjab, before seeing there was the opportunity to join the NHS and come to England in late 2001.
The Trust flew out to India to conduct interviews, with Ancy having a preliminary interview, before being selected to go to Delhi to meet the matron from renal, and she impressed sufficiently to get the post.
She was booked on a flight at the end of January 2002, and started her new role on February 4 in the dialysis unit.
Ancy said: “I was passionate about renal and wanted to work in that department. It was quite different to how we worked in India, but the basic principles remained, so it was an easy adaptation, and the Trust were really supportive, we had a dedicated mentor and educator.
“The pastoral side is brilliant. We were the second batch from India, and the Trust was very supportive and welcoming. I stayed in dialysis for 11 years.”
In 2013, Ancy made the move to the critical care unit: “I felt I needed to expand my career and moved to the critical care unit, which was fantastic. I was quite nervous about changing my role, but the team were very welcoming, and I learned a lot and expanded my knowledge further. They were a fantastic team and I still go back to do some shifts there intermittently.”
After eight years in critical care, and with 20 years’ experience of the Trust under her belt, her dream was to help pass on that know how to a new generation of nurses: “Education was always my dream, to pass on my knowledge and experience. First my role was International Nurses Tutor, we supported the practice educators in terms of inductions and getting them used to the environment and getting them ready for their OSCE exams, and also supporting in inductions post-OSCE.
“I did that for about six months before I became Clinical Practise Educator for respiratory and stroke, I joined in August 2022, so nearly two years in post. The work with International Nurses carried on as well. They can see the pathway, everything has been set up over time – when we came it was quite new, but we have built a lot of things over that time, we have a social group and things like that.
“I love Preston as well; I’ve never thought of leaving. A lot of the girls who came with me migrated to Australia or the United States, but four or five are still here in Preston and we still keep in touch. I love the city and the workplace, and I’m still here because I love the hospital and my job.”
- Internationally Educated Colleagues Celebration Day 2024 is on Friday 7 June, with a Celebration Event being held in Lecture Theatre 1 in Education Centre 1 at Royal Preston Hospital from 11am to 12pm, including awards for: Caring and Compassionate; High Flyer; Team Player; All Smiles; and The People’s Choice.
