On Wednesday, 15th November 2023, Leadcare Recruitment held a hugely successful Self Care event that was open to all Nurses across Northern Ireland.
Coinciding with the nationally recognised ‘Self Care Week’, the event was spearheaded by Leadcare’s Registered Nurse Manager, Karen Kane, who said:
‘Our Self Care event for Nurses was a reminder that self-care isn’t selfish; it’s a vital foundation for taking care of our own health and wellbeing.’
‘Working within the healthcare sector can be challenging, and those challenges have increased in recent years. For us, this event was about sustaining the pillars of our profession, our Nurses, and by doing so ensuring we are all able to provide exceptional care to others.’
The half day event featured guest speakers, including Kayleigh McMonagle and Nathan Doherty from Bogside and Brandywell Health Forum who spoke about ‘Nutrition and Burnout’ and ‘Looking After Your Mental Health & Wellbeing’, and Deirdre O’Hara from Derry Well Woman who delivered a session on ‘Menopause Awareness’.
The ‘Menopause Awareness’ session comes following Leadcare Recruitment publishing a Menopause Policy, one of the first recruitment agencies in Ireland to do so.
Karen continued: ‘Speaking up about the menopause and the effects it can have is not easy for many women, and as a result many will suffer – sometimes quite debilitating symptoms – in silence. Publishing our Menopause Policy on World Menopause Day in October was a key milestone for the Agency.’
‘Whilst around 94% of Nurses in Northern Ireland are female, increasing understanding of menopause isn’t just helpful for women. It’s key for everyone to help ensure we have the awareness and skills to support our colleagues, friends, family members, and importantly our patients, who may be experiencing menopausal symptoms.’
The Self Care event was an opportunity for the Agency’s Nurses to meet one another, engage directly with the Senior Management Team, and benefit from signposting to physical and mental health organisations and resources in the community, all whilst enjoying some light refreshments in an informal setting.
In addition to hearing from guest speakers on topical areas, the Self Care event included an optional free Health Check for all attendees, which proved very popular. The Health Check covered blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, height/weight analysis, and a glucose and cholesterol check.
Registered Nurse and Director of Leadcare Recruitment, Paul Strachan, said: ‘The aim of today’s event was to empower – not just our Nurses but any Nurse who wanted to attend – with information, resources, and tools to support their physical and mental health and wellbeing.’
‘As Registered Nurses with over 20 years of experience, myself and Stephen [Ferguson] founded Leadcare with the commitment to redefine how an Agency invests in and supports their Nurses; we are determined to be an excellent Agency that values and prioritises our Nurses.’
As an Agency with both male and female Nurses, it was important that factors affecting both men’s and women’s health were addressed on the day, particularly with International Men’s Day around the corner on Sunday, 19th November.
Leadcare’s mission was supported far and wide in the community, with over 30 national and local businesses sponsoring a range of discounts and freebies for Goodie Bags and spot prizes, including a Family Pass to Jack and the Beanstalk provided by Millennium Forum, a range of merchandise packs, a floral bouquet, skincare treats, a number of discounted memberships and offers with local gyms and wellness centres, free coffee/tea vouchers, free eye tests, and more.
Registered Nurse and Director of Leadcare Recruitment, Stephen Ferguson, said: ‘It was brilliant to have such a great turnout for our Self Care event. The room was buzzing, and the atmosphere was fantastic. It was great to see our Nurses connect with each other, meet new faces who came along for the day, and to know that everyone had such a good time.’
‘Thanks to everyone who came, and to all of the businesses who supported the event with their kind donations and discounts for our well deserving staff.’
Having witnessed how much those who attended enjoyed the day, interacting with each other and with the Senior Management Team, the Agency intend to host more events in the future.
Leadcare Recruitment was established by Nurses, for Nurses. Operating since December 2020, they are one of Northern Ireland’s fastest-growing Nursing Agencies, having been appointed in May 2023 to the HSCNI Framework as an Approved Supplier for Agency Nurses to all five HSCNI Trusts.
Offering industry-leading pay rates, weekly pay, support with NMC revalidation, and free uniform and training, amongst a range of other benefits, you can register to join Leadcare Recruitment, or find out more at:
W: leadcarerecruitment.com/join-leadcare
E: info@leadcarerecruitment.com
T: 028 7187 6515
