• Health and social care careers in Dorset

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So far Our Dorset has created 13 blog entries.

Catherine

2024-10-09T10:18:29+00:00

Hello from Dorset! I’m Cat, and I’ve been Chief Respiratory Physiologist at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester for three months now.

I was looking for career progression, and being a country girl I wanted to live somewhere rural. I loved the values of Dorset County Hospital, and that it has great inspection ratings. My interview was very friendly and relaxed – it felt more like a work-related chat, which was a really nice experience. Once I’d been offered the job I came for a visit and to meet the team and just knew that this was the place for me.

Dorset County is a really forward-thinking hospital – they are very much a ‘say yes first, then see how we can make it work’ sort of place. They also have a big emphasis on staff wellbeing. In my induction, the CEO, Patricia, was saying that staff can’t give patients the best care unless the hospital helps and looks after its staff. And it’s not just all good intentions; the trust really does hold staff wellbeing very highly, which is so needed in these chaotic times.

I’ve only been here a few months but I’ve been made to feel so welcome by the team; I’ve been able to suggest some improvements which are working out well and I’ve got stuck in with an exciting research project. I really feel like my career is taking off here.

At the moment, we’re still relocating and are in the process of buying a house in Maiden Newton, which is just outside of Dorchester.

My husband is still in our old house with our dog and cats, but we’ll be living together again soon and having fun exploring our new country!

Catherine2024-10-09T10:18:29+00:00

Rachel

2024-10-09T10:42:52+00:00

Hello from Dorset! I’m Rachel, a leg ulcer staff nurse for Dorset HealthCare. I moved to Dorset from Milton Keynes with my family. My husband had played with local bands here, so we’d visited the area often and loved it, so we decided to make the move!

It’s a lovely place to live, and work-wise I feel very supported. I had everything I needed waiting for me when I first arrived. Our IT department are amazing – the team makes life so much easier, it’s really something to celebrate. I can even use my laptop and smart card at home to write up notes!

I work as part of the leg ulcer service and we are managed by a tissue viability nurse. This means better management to me, as in my previous job we were managed by district nursing and they didn’t fully appreciate our role! The service has been set up the right way, and although it is a new system and I didn’t know anyone in the area, I have felt very supported.

Since coming to Dorset I’ve never been happier, and my stress levels have never been better! There are so many places to work – we didn’t use the car at all during lockdown, we could just make some sandwiches and a flask and explore the local area on foot. We are currently living in Owermoigne, and my family and I can walk to the beach and the local farm from home.

Rachel2024-10-09T10:42:52+00:00

Nicola

2024-10-09T10:43:16+00:00

Hello from Dorset! I’m Nicola, and outpatient physiotherapy team lead at Bridport Hospital, but I also manage the teams in Lyme Regis and Portland. I grew up in Dorset’s county town of Dorchester before moving away for work. In 2016 I decided to make the move back to Dorset to be closer to my family and settled in Bridport.

It’s so lovely being near the coast. For the first year it felt like being on holiday! My commute along the coast road to Portland and Lyme Regis means I can see the sea every time I travel. The whole commute is just full of beautiful scenery.

I enjoy walking, and will often see a hill and think, ‘oh, I haven’t walked up that one yet,’ then get home and plan the route. It’s so nice to be able to plan which beach or which hill I’ll explore that weekend. I got into distance walking before I moved, and it’s been wonderful being able to continue among such amazing scenery.

A colleague of mine lives in Frome, Somerset, which is just over an hour away. He works here three days a week and two days there. When he’s working here, he stays on a campsite in his campervan. He keeps his paddleboard and kayak in storage in Lyme Regis so there on hand when he’s in here, and he absolutely loves it!

Nicola2024-10-09T10:43:16+00:00

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