UK Soon!

Dear Sir / Madam,

My name is Roberta Hilliger; I am an American citizen looking to relocate to the United Kingdom.

I have been a Registered Nurse over 35 years and have worked primarily in psychiatry (over 24 years),  in hospice/palliative care (8 years plus), as well as skilled acute remedial care nursing, skin, wound care, review suicide watch as a jail nurse, detox, working with children, adolescents,adults,geriatric, Alzheimers and dementia in psychiatric and skilled short remedial Medicare and long term nursing.

My interest is working directly with patients, such as palliative care/ home care or in bank nursing where I can learn more, hoping to work enough hours to enjoy life and work.

As I am something of an extraordinary case, aiming to change not only careers but countries, I think it only reasonable to offer you some more detailed information.

I am originally from Chicago and moved to Rapid City, South Dakota to raise my family. My children are now grown and are raising families or businesses of their own. My son has moved to the UK and settled in Brighton; which is where I’d like to be.

I am keen to bring my lifetime of nursing experience and patient skills to the UK and to understand the holistic nursing and health practices offered here. The US healthcare system has been in the news recently and I am saddened by the reaction of some of our politicians in respect of providing basic healthcare for all. Both your private and NHS provision seems to be bolstered by a completely different set of ideals and these attract me as a nurse.

I have professional nursing qualifications having studied  three years at Evanston Hospital School of Nursing (affiliated with Northwestern University) and a year  at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. More importantly I am able to offer over thirty years’ experience in nursing and care.

For some years I was the only nurse at a small town hospital in rural South Dakota; responsible for all nursing care, including outpatients, delivering babies, and summons to doctor if someone drove into the emergency room.

I was evening charge nurse for 18 years on an adult and adolescent psychiatric unit, managing it successfully; assigning recreation activities, admissions, discharges and restraint or seclusion assessments and offering 1:1 counselling sessions.

I currently work as one of 2 nurses at a long term adolescent psychiatric treatment centre. I work Thursdays to Sundays and undertake telemedicine each Friday with the Doctor from across State. I work remotely, preparing assessments for the Doctor who sees my patients via TV. I take orders, we care plan together and I process behaviour. I am the only nurse responsible as this is done on Friday, and I spend all weekend with the young people handling sports injuries,and various upsetting situations.

I have been a jail nurse and enjoyed being a hospice nurse at ‘Assisted Living’ for 4 years.  Also I had 3.5 years more hospice work at a skilled nursing care facility. Whilst there I had sole responsibility for the administration of narcotics, pain assessment and assessing pain control, and ongoing medication and comfort measures for a 12 hour shift. At this facility, I was the sole nurse on a wing where one-third of the patients were there for hospice care and I earned the trust of the patients’ families. Because the only hospital in town  had  no hospice house of its own, we were one of two facilities which would receive its cases. I managed many medically complicated cases such as a woman who was dying of cancer  and required me to paint morphine on her face and do facial dressings.

Despite family and personal issues common to many, I have had less than 8 sick days in the past 8 years; managed to raise a family and host a long running radio show for over 30 years (I even had a baby named after me by a listener!). For the past 19 months I have driven 100 miles round trip to my job, and was given good marks for my attendance these 19 months. I am looking for a change and enjoy working evening shifts, 12 or 8 hours shifts, I have routinely been required to work as long as a 16 hour shift until adolescents were all asleep and settled and then I could drive home and still be on call. It has snowed already this year and since I don’t want to dogsled 50 miles to work, I am looking for a change. It is by the Grace of God I have not gone off the icy roads or hit deer running in front of my car on the 50 mile drive home at midnite.

I bring an eagerness to learn, a passion for new experiences, a wealth of experience and a joy of nursing. I have a flexible and relaxed attitude and am considered by friends and colleagues alike a fun, caring and reliable person. I truly miss being part of a team (having worked solo for almost 2 years.)

I have a fantastic work ethic; I am willing to work evenings (and prefer such) and can problem solve on the spot. I get along with people and enjoy connecting with patients. I have good communication skills,  and a compassionate, warm nature.

Thank you for your interest and my CV is  available online. I will be in the UK from 27 October 2009 to 26 November 2009 and I would welcome an opportunity to meet with you.

Yours sincerely,-NOTE-my stay has been extended to November 26.**

Roberta Hilliger