Overseas nurse, Maricar Pagaduan, originally from the Philippines, is overjoyed to be settling into a new life in Gloucestershire with her husband, Dundee, and son, Austin, thanks to a new job with The Orders of St John Care Trust (OSJCT). As the main earner of the family, Maricar will spend International Women’s Day working at Grevill House’s Intermediate Care Centre in Charlton Kings, before going home for family time with three-year-old Austin.

Reflecting on International Women’s Day, Maricar said: “Having spent two years in Saudi Arabia, I am grateful to be in a country where it feels more equal. In the past, it has been more traditional for husbands to provide for their wives, but now we have more choices. I am proud to be the breadwinner in my family, working as a nurse, a job I love, and sharing my skills where they are needed.”

Maricar was inspired to become a nurse after she had to stay in hospital herself, at the age of nine, due to a high fever. She said: “I was very scared but everyone was so kind and caring, I decided then that I wanted to be a nurse and care for others.” Maricar’s parents encouraged her to train in the profession and she qualified in 2016.

As wages are very low in her home country, Maricar took a job in Saudi Arabia where she worked in an emergency care hospital for two years. During that time, the couple’s son Austin was born, and Dundee looked after him in the Philippines. After Austin’s birth, Maricar looked for a country where she could earn a fair wage and live with her husband and child.

She said: “I applied to OSJCT’s overseas recruitment scheme, and everything fell into place. The Trust offers a good relocation package, benefits and training. It is important to me that the organisation has a clear mission and values, and I can see those values in the support and kindness I’ve experienced working here.”

One of the things that attracted Maricar was the cool British weather, although she has been surprised by its unpredictable nature. She has also found people in the UK are very welcoming. She said: “Everyone I’ve worked with is very kind and understanding. It hasn’t been hard to adjust to new ways of working. People are very patient.”

Maricar completed her probationary training at Millbrook Lodge, another one of the Trust’s homes in Brockworth, before moving to work at the Ashley Intermediate Care Centre, co-located with Grevill House. She said: “After working in hospitals, I prefer to work in the care home, and I enjoy helping older people. I have a soft heart and it really suits me. I was initially concerned that I wouldn’t be able to use all my skills in the role, but I use my complex care expertise on a regular basis for injections, managing feeding tubes and other specialised nursing tasks.”

Since joining Maricar in January 2023, Dundee has taken up a job as a carer at Grevill House. Working at the same care home makes it easier to share their son’s childcare and her husband is now enjoying the same sense of support and community that Maricar has found working for OSJCT.  

Maricar said: “I’m grateful to OSJCT for this opportunity to work in care in a role where I can share my knowledge and skills with some very kind and sweet older people. And I’m very happy that the three of us are back together again settling into this new life. My husband and I can start to make plans for the future and enjoy watching our son grow up.”