Femi Adeparusi

Femi Adeparusi

It’s a big step up from Health Care Assistant (HCA) to qualified nurse – but that’s exactly what Sidcup based Femi Adeparusi is doing.

Currently an HCA at Bexley Community Health Services’ Step Up, Step Down Unit at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup, Femi began his nursing training in May 2011.

Femi, who has been with BCHS for three years, used to work in the private sector at St. Luke’s Healthcare in Abbey Wood, where he helped look after patients with mental health problems. He has been an HCA since 2007.

The Step Up, Step Down Unit provides nurse-led intermediate care in Bexley for residents aged 18 and over who are registered with a GP in the borough.

The unit is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and provides care for up to 24 patients. It aims to get patients back on their feet whether they have come from home or hospital. The aim is to rehabilitate people so they will be able to return home.

A Nigerian by birth, Femi, is a very bright chap. Back in his homeland he was a university tutor, teaching philosophy, though he much prefers what he does now. Femi said: “I very much like working with people and that’s exactly what I did at Step Up, Step Down.

“One of the things I like best about Step Up, Step Down is that we are able to get patients, many of them elderly, back to being independent individuals again.

“Back in Nigeria my father owned a private hospital, so from an early age the medical influences were always there. However, I originally wanted to study law, but drifted into philosophy and eventually became a lecturer in the subject at Ebonyi State University.

“I came to the UK in 2007, trained as an HCA and now want to go on to the next step. I started my training as a nurse on 9 May and should be qualified in three years time.

“I’d like to continue working for Oxleas. In my opinion it is a good place to be at the moment with a level of job security and a genuinely nice place to work.”

When he eventually does become a qualified nurse Femi has even further ambitions. He said: “My ultimate aim is to try and make the grade as a Nurse Practitioner, qualified to dispense medicines, but that’s a long way off yet.”