Working Life: ‘We are very focused on maintaining the dignity of our residents’

Diana Rose, director of care at Orwell Healthcare, Orwell Road, Rathgar

Diana Rose, director of care at Orwell Healthcare in Rathgar. Picture: Moya Nolan

“I came to Ireland from Kerala in India in 2007. It’s where most Indian nurses working in the Irish healthcare system come from. There’s a high literacy rate in Kerala and a lot of people opt for a career in nursing because there are good professional opportunities overseas. We are paid well in Ireland compared to at home.

“I lived in Clara, Co Offaly, initially, but as a city girl, it wasn’t for me, so I moved to Dublin in 2008. I spent six months with an agency working at various Dublin hospitals, getting good experience. While dropping off my CV at Orwell Healthcare, a private nursing home on Orwell Road, in 2008, the head of HR invited me to an interview. I’ve been there ever since.