Shirhan Hassan is a 34 year old registered Nurse.Shirhan is the Director/Registered manager for a private home care agency,a research nurse by profession currently doing bank work to allow her time and headspace to develop her business idea. Here she tells us about her experiences so far.
‘I’m Shirhan, a registered nurse for eight years now. And I’ve done some different things in nursing. From A&E, initially started my career there. And then moved into research nursing, which is mainly my field at the moment. And I love traveling, that’s my passion. And trying something new each time, something different. So being open-minded.So I qualified in July, 2012, and immediately I think August I started working in North Middlesex A&E.
I was there for 14 months. I wanted to move to UCLH A&E for more career progression. Then I realized, whilst I was waiting for the transfer to start the new job, I got an offer from Paul’s Agency to start working in this private CRO, which is a clinical research organization.
So I was like, why don’t I try this? You know, start something new which I didn’t know anything about research I’m going to take the chance to try something new. And I started working in that, was private research company. And I just liked it.I got offered through Paul’s Agency again to work with the London Ambulance with a nurse advisor.
This was a pilot scheme for three months initially to work with paramedics, to help with the emergency triage. They had so many 999 calls to have nurses to do telephone triage, and then decide appropriate level of care. So that was really amazing. And I really enjoyed that. And they wanted to extend it and make it more permanent post. I didn’t feel like I wanted it to go into that, I was starting my new research job. I decided to stay in research, in NHS research and work with them part-time, like ad hoc. When I could, so which is mainly I did Saturday and Sunday, that was the time I was off. It was really an amazing experience. I stayed there for two years and helped, whilst I was doing my research.
Then 2017 came along, I just decided that was the time that I was thinking of starting the business. I loved nursing, but I felt like there was more that I could do for myself. Not working for the money, more like me working when I wanted to work. That’s when I came up with idea. I just decided now to do bank research and start my career in business nursing.
I’ve started a private home care agency, that deals with providing carers and nurses to private clients in their own home. And we’re able to do wide range of nursing skills. So that was my passion, because I have my mother that I was looking after at home. So it was something that I was more related to, so that’s what I wanted to start my business. Something that I’m passionate about, and something that I enjoyed was looking after people in their own homes, the one to one nursing.So that’s why I started my business.
If families are not able to look after their loved ones. I had the great opportunity where I can look after my own mother. It’s something that I’m passionate about, that’s what led me, to start this care agency.
The aging population in the UK is growing. There’s a lot more people that need care at home. Families are not around to look after their elderly parents. Even the government is pushing more at home rather than hospital care, to reduce the pressure on acute care. So people are able to be looked after in their own home, in their own environment, is something that a lot of families would appreciate. And also good for the patient rather than taking up the space in a hospital environment.
I think majority of home agencies, they’re more like franchise or they’re large corporations. Small businesses like myself, have got experience in both, looking after my own mother and also nursing. It means I I can definitely bring this personalised care for a lot of people and families. To relate to somebody that understands looking after their own family in their own home. This is something that makes my service stand out from the others.
I definitely want it to have more work-life balance, being able to work when I went to. Just that financial freedom as well. There’s no limit in terms of how much I can earn. With nursing, there’s a cap for where you can go to. But if I work hard for my own business, then its unlimited in how much I can earn. Also, to be able to take time off when I went to, is actually the main priority for me. So I don’t have to work this day. Actually, if I want to take it off, I can take this day off. So that’s the long term goal.
I’m quite lucky now that in terms of my research bank work, I can do weekend work or nights. I’m not going to do many hours, I can just do sometimes two days or sometimes three days, depending on the financial need. However, the times when I’m off, then I can focus on the business. So it will give me a lot of time during the days to contact clients that I want, or focus on my plans for the business.
Working in the NHS definitely promoted my self-confidence. I think especially working in as a nurse advisor, making those clinical decisions that you just feel more competent and able. People trust you as a nurse with giving them the advice. This is something that is a positive that has enabled my self-confidence.
All the experience that I have built up, I can now utilise and put it in towards the business. Which is something that’s been really good and has helped me to start the business and also to carry on with the business.
I have told my close nursing friends who are very positive. They know who I am, that I am a go getter, I will try anything new and I am not afraid to. They have been really positive even though sometimes it can be very challenging. I am the kind of person that will tell people I am close to if anything is worrying me or if things are not going well and then I get that support from friends. Its amazing and really nice to have that support from good nursing friends who can support you in your ambitions in business. They love it , they say ‘go ahead Shirhan, keep trying!’.
The ultimate goal is to have two or three franchises of the company, or just to have another home care agency in the Middle East. And to grow that business. I can look back, and say ‘this is what I’ve done’ 20 years from now. That’s the ultimate goal. So hopefully I’ll get there one day.
I would say differently marketing would be one of the skills to have. And also accounting. you definitely need be aware of your cost and how much you’re spending on marketing, or promotional products, things like that. So it’s important to have those skills. More recently, I’m working on public speaking, if you’re able to be confidently be able to stand up in front of people, you can also be confident to present to people in the business that you want, clients that you want to work with.
That is something that I’m working on. And I think for anybody that’s going into nursing, I think it’s quite important. Going into business, it’s important to have public speaking skills.
I am not afraid in terms of when I’m talking to people I know, or if I’m in the work environment. But in terms of standing up in front of people that I don’t know, and presenting to them, or somebody that is a client that I want to work with, or an organisation, that would scare me. It is something I want to work on, I realise that I’m not good at it. It is something I can work on, I’ve actually started a course, I am willing to do anything that can help me achieve my goals.
I would say the nursing skills that have been the most useful for my business so far are, confidence, skills, and also being motivated to the work ethic that nurses put in, in their field. I have learned that my confidence is something that can take me further. And if I’m motivated too, that will lead me to have a successful business.’