This is the inspiring story of Karen Glover, a nurse and midwife by profession, born in the UK but raised in South Africa, who has built an impressive healthcare career back in the UK.

Karen is deeply passionate about her work, achieving considerable success and even establishing her own private midwifery practice. She is also dedicated to making a difference, particularly in the realms of international recruitment and supporting internationally trained staff in the UK.

Karen shares her experiences with life’s challenges and the importance of resilience. After retiring, she chose to return to work following the loss of her husband. However, due to struggles with bureaucracy and various legal requirements—such as her international midwifery qualifications not being recognised in the UK—she was unable to practise as a registered nurse or midwife for two years. Instead, she took on a role as a healthcare assistant, well below her level of expertise.

Karen’s resilience helped her rise through the ranks, and now, over ten years later, she is a Senior Manager for International Recruitment at Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. She now supports other internationally trained nurses and midwives, helping them achieve the roles they deserve in their careers.

REMINDER: All NHS 3rd-party recruiters, including NEU Professionals, are regulated by NHS Employers and their Code of Practice for International Recruitment, we are not able to accept applications from residents of any of the countries listed on the following link: ⁠https://bit.ly/NHS-Red-List

In April 2024, Thabo was traveling to the UK with three other nurses when extreme weather conditions made their journey more difficult than expected, leaving them stranded in Dubai.

He reflects on the support he received during this challenging time, when the situation seemed at its worst. The NEU team was always on the other end of the phone, standing by him through thick and thin to ensure his safety and well-being. Thabo admitted, “Sometimes I asked myself, when do they sleep? (...) they were more worried about me than I was worried about myself. It reassured me to say I've got people who care, people who are saying: we want this person to arrive safely".

This is a perfect example of exceptional pastoral care, and we couldn’t be prouder.

REMINDER: All NHS 3rd-party recruiters, including NEU Professionals, are regulated by NHS Employers and their Code of Practice for International Recruitment, we are not able to accept applications from residents of any of the countries listed on the following link: ⁠https://bit.ly/NHS-Red-List.

Last December, Catherine spoke with Chilanzi about her international recruitment experience with NEU Professionals. Together they discuss the entire recruitment and relocation process, from Chilanzi's decision to advance her career at the NHS in England, the NHS interview process, the concerns of temporarily leaving her family behind in her home country while she studies for the OSCE and settles in a new country, and the value of setting goals for yourself.

Chilanzi gives valuable advice for any internationally recruited healthcare professional about how to make the cultural adjustment easier, by reaching out to friends, family, colleagues, and members of their faith to make the transition easier and ensure support throughout the first few months.

REMINDER: All NHS 3rd-party recruiters, including NEU Professionals, are regulated by NHS Employers and their Code of Practice for International Recruitment, we are not able to accept applications from residents of any of the countries listed on the following link: https://bit.ly/NHS-Red-List

In this very special edition, it's a privilege to have Jayne Connery as our guest, from the Care Campaign for the Vulnerable (CCFTV).

CCFTV partners with significant care homes supporting independent safety monitoring systems to protect to the vulnerable elderly.

"CCFTV acknowledges the invaluable role of care homes in providing essential support and rehabilitation for individuals discharged from hospital settings. These facilities often serve as sanctuaries for recovery, offering compassionate care and personalised assistance tailored to the unique needs of each resident. The dedication and compassion demonstrated by care home staff are commendable and deserve recognition and support from policymakers" - Jayne Connery

We also talk about NEU Professionals DO-IT Communications Skills for Safe Care. We are dedicated to supporting the hardworking and committed staff in UK Care Homes with FREE TRAINING to enhance their communication skills. As we all know, effective communication is the key to providing safe and excellent care.

Join us in this exciting opportunity to develop your skills and provide the best possible care to our community.

Click here to know more about the Care Campaign for the Vulnerable (CCFTV).

In this episode, Catherine J. Morrison, NEU Project Manager, and Hasan, Mental Health Nurse from Iraq, discuss the three exams necessary for international nurses: OET, CBT and OSCE.

Hassan assures his application process with NEU Professionals was quite easy and straightforward, and his recruitment consultant was very helpful in preparing him for his interview!

Listen to his motivational story and don't forget to click on the notifications button to be the first to know about our latest NEU Nurses podcasts.

If you, like Hasan, wish to move your healthcare career to the U.K. please send us your CV, passport copy and English certificate to [email protected]

Maxwell is a truly inspirational nurse who has successfully completed his journey to the U.K. in 2022 and is now working in London as part of a fantastic NHS hospital team.

This Mental Health nurse originally from Eswatini used part of his wages to build a borehole for his village back home so they could have access to clean water.

Listen to his motivational story and don't forget to click on the notifications button to be the first to know about our latest NEU Nurses podcasts.

If you, like Maxwell, wish to move your healthcare career to the U.K. please send us your CV, passport copy and English certificate to [email protected]

NEU Stories is the podcast where real nurses share their real stories of international recruitment.

In this episode, Catherine J. Morrison (NEU Professionals Project Manager) speaks with Roshanak Adelian, midwifery candidate from Iran 🇮🇷, about her struggles relocating to the UK from Iran amidst her personal struggles as well as geopolitical struggles. Roshanak speaks honestly about the difficulties of relocating from Iran amid international sanctions, sitting her English test in another country, and ultimate success of working in the maternity ward at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust (part of the CapitalMidwife collaborative).

Roshanak also laughs about some of the unexpected experiences she's encountered since moving to the multi-cultural city of London, and shares some of her dreams and ambitions that a future with the NHS offers.

Find more information about international recruitment on our website and social media:

Please note that we are regulated by NHS Employers and their Code of Practice for International Recruitment, which states that some developing countries should not be targeted when actively recruiting healthcare professionals. Therefore we are not able to accept or process applications from any of the countries listed on the following link: https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/code-practice-red-and-amber-list-countries 

NEU Stories is the podcast where real nurses share their real stories of international recruitment.

In this episode, Catherine J. Morrison speaks with Courage Young, nursing candidate from Ghana 🇬🇭, and Tlamelo Mangole, nursing candidate from Botswana 🇧🇼, about their experiences relocating to the UK to work in the NHS. They talk openly and candidly about the challenges encountered during the recruitment process, the cultural adaptation, and their ultimate acclimations to life in the UK and work progression at the NHS.

Reminder that Ghana is currently on the NHS Employers' Red List; NEU Professional does not actively recruit candidates from Red List countries and will not accept applications from candidates who are residents in these countries.

Find more information about international recruitment on our website and social media:

Please note that we are regulated by NHS Employers and their Code of Practice for International Recruitment, which states that some developing countries should not be targeted when actively recruiting healthcare professionals. Therefore we are not able to accept or process applications from any of the countries listed on the following link: https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/code-practice-red-and-amber-list-countries 

Welcome to NEU Stories, an innovative podcast where real nurses share their real stories of international recruitment. Brought to you by NEU Professionals International Recruitment Agency. Based in London since 2013.

So who are we (NEU Professionals)?

Fun, honest and unscripted conversations with genuine healthcare and medical professionals who have been through the relocation process and want to share the benefit of their experience and inspire anyone considering relocating

Tlameo is from Botswana and started work for the NHS in January 2023. Courage has been in the UK for over 4 years and was recruited before Ghana on went the list of countries we cannot ethically recruit from.

As part of our commitment to ethical recruitment any countries on the World Health Organization Red List or developing countries are not eligible for international recruitment. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/NHS-Red-List