Torquay's Rowcroft Hospice holding nursing recruitment open day

If you’re a registered nurse or a nurse looking to return to practice, or if you’re planning to study to become a nurse in the next year, then Rowcroft Hospice wants to hear from you.

Rowcroft is holding an open day for registered nurses on Thursday, February 23, at the hospice in Avenue Road, Torquay, to highlight the benefits of working for the local charity.

“As a nurse here in Rowcroft’s inpatient unit, it’s such a privilege to work as part of an expert team,” said registered nurse Jo Jacobs, who has been with the hospice since 2018.

“The team’s level of knowledge and skill, and the ingrained culture of learning and professional development, are absolutely second to none. In delivering the very best care to our patients and families across South Devon, I am proud to work alongside so many specialist health and social care professionals including occupational therapists, physiotherapists, complementary therapists, palliative care doctors, social workers and bereavement counsellors.”

Rowcroft employs around 230 people in diverse teams across the organisation - all with one common goal: to make every day the best day possible for people living with life-limiting illnesses across South Devon. Hundreds of volunteers also provide vital support in many varied roles.

Michelle Ayling, inpatient unit manager at Rowcroft Hospice, said: “If you’d like to find out more about working for Rowcroft, please do come along to our open day for an informal discussion about what it’s really like to work here, understand how we can support and develop your nursing career, and dispel some of the myths about working for a hospice."

Claire Booth, head of people and organisational development at Rowcroft Hospice, said: “Our open day is a great opportunity to meet our people and see for yourself what it’s like to be part of our professional teams.

“There’s no need to book, just drop in to our main hospice building between 9.30am and 5pm on Thursday, February 23, and find out why Rowcroft is such a great place to work. There is plenty of free parking and feel free to bring your children along if you need to.”

Rowcroft aims to attract new talent to the hospice to ensure that the charity can continue to provide the excellent care and service it is known for, and so that the organisation can achieve its future goals of enhancing and expanding its care to support more people in the local community.

“It’s a very supportive environment here,” said Rowcroft’s nurse Jo Jacobs. “It’s like one big family where we all look out for each other and care for each other. The organisation is also incredibly flexible around working patterns, so it really works well for me in juggling work and family life.

“There are so many advantages of working for Rowcroft. My role as an inpatient unit nurse has truly lived up to my dream of what I went into nursing to do. At Rowcroft, it’s about offering the very best holistic care possible, and for me that involves being able to spend quality time with my patients and not feeling rushed.

“I love that I have the chance to get to know my patients really well, and to get to know their loved ones and even their pets too!

“It truly is a privilege to work in end-of-life care. To make every patient's last days the most comfortable and the very best they can be. To support and care for not only the patients but their families. And to leave at the end of each shift knowing that I’ve nursed and cared for my patients in the very best way possible, and among a friendly and lovely team, it means everything to me.”