Blerta Ilazi
Programme Lead
ReSTORE
The Challenge
As a nurse and former refugee, Blerta noticed other refugee nurses faced long immigration waits, language barriers, and cultural challenges. They also had to deal with trauma-related health issues, financial stress, racism, and housing instability, highlighting significant barriers to their integration into the workforce and to their well-being.
There is a 50,000 shortage of nurses in the UK.
The Innovation
As a result of these challenges, Blerta founded ‘ReSTORE’. Through her own lived experiences of going through the system herself, she was inspired to establish a programme for other refugees with a nursing background, to join the register of their profession, providing a helping hand in navigating this long and complicated journey. The initiative aims to empower refugee nurses to re-enter and excel in nursing careers across England.
Attending the CARE programme gave Blerta the confidence, knowledge and leadership skills to enable her to run the ReSTORE programme more effectively.
About ReSTORE
ReSTORE refugee nursing programme was founded by Blerta in April 2023 and is funded by South Yorkshire ICB in partnership with the South Yorkshire Primary Care Workforce and Training Hub. The programme is led by Blerta, an advanced nurse practitioner who once faced the same challenges as the nurses she now supports, alongside palliative care nurse Emma Mathews.
ReSTORE aims to help refugee nurses in the region return to their nursing careers within the NHS and thrive in roles they may otherwise have struggled to access.
The programme plans to expand to support other refugee healthcare professionals and to grow geographically across the UK.
Just over a year in, the first cohort is preparing for their final OSCE exams while working as healthcare support workers in a local NHS trust. The second cohort is also preparing for clinical exams and working in support roles. The third cohort begins in September, starting with the English Healthcare course and their first NHS volunteering placements
Blerta was nominated by NHS England Northeast and Yorkshire for her outstanding contribution to NHS Workforce and refugee nurses to meet King Charles in November 2023 which also led to receiving National B.A.M.E Health and Care Award for her dedication to nursing career.
The Impact
- ReSTORE is supporting 18 nurses and 2 midwives.
- 16 participants are working as healthcare support workers in 5 NHS trusts across South Yorkshire and are in the process of passing language and clinical exams required to register with NMC.
- Recognised nationally and internationally for contributions to NHS workforce and refugee nurses.
