Six nurses from overseas have been given a warm welcome to Forth Valley Royal Hospital, as part of a wider recruitment drive across NHS Scotland.
They have been recruited, in partnership with NHS Professionals, as part of a Scottish Government initiative to increase international nurse recruitment and support the delivery of health services across Scotland.
They'll be joined by a further seven nurses from India and Zimbabwe, who are due to arrive in Forth Valley next month.
This international recruitment programme, which aims to recruit around 200 nurses across Scotland, has been carried out ethically in line with the Scottish Code of Practice for the International Recruitment of Health and Social Care Personnel.
Louise Boyle, Interim Chief Nurse, Forth Valley Royal Hospital, welcomed the nurses on their first day at NHS Forth Valley.
She said: "We have had considerable success in recent years in attracting newly qualified nursing staff to join us, however, it’s also important to look beyond the established recruitment routes to help us enhance our nursing workforce.
"We are delighted to welcome these new nurses to NHS Forth Valley and I, along with senior nursing colleagues across the hospital, will be doing everything we can to make them feel at home over the coming weeks and months."
The nurses, who have experience in a number of areas including intensive care and surgical wards, will undergo a full induction programme.
Rahana Babu, who will be working in one of the surgical wards at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, said: "Despite having family in England, I was really keen to come to Scotland to work as the people are really friendly and I felt I would have greater opportunities to learn and develop my nursing career.
Maries Pakrath, who has experience of working in Intensive Care, said: "I am looking forward to working in the Intensive Care Unit at Forth Valley Royal Hospital. It’s good to be here with other nursing colleagues from India and I also have a brother who is studying to be a nurse in Glasgow.
"However, we all feel very supported by everyone we have met since we arrived in Forth Valley."
