Yasin's story: Mental Health Nurse, Ambassador and TBB Alumni
Our Mental Health Week event this year aimed to raise awareness of the importance of mental health for refugees and displaced people who have moved through TBB’s programs. Who better to lead the session than Yasin, a mental health nurse, Syrian refugee and TBB alumni himself, who relocated to work in the NHS last year.
Fleeing Syria and “just surviving” in Lebanon
Yasin was a teenager in middle school when he escaped the conflict in Syria. After fleeing to Lebanon, he persevered to continue studying and was granted a scholarship for a Nursing degree. Upon graduation, Yasin faced the reality that his Syrian nationality and refugee status were barriers to working in nursing. Refugees in Lebanon are restricted in the type of work they are allowed to do, and need to pay for expensive work permits. He explained:
“I did all the exams that I was supposed to do. I was trying to [register to work] and I couldn't, so I tried to find work remotely related to my bachelor degree”.
Working informally in a hospital intensive care unit was Yasin’s only option, leaving him vulnerable to working long hours with little to no pay. Being employed informally also meant Yasin worked longer hours and had more duties than formally employed nurses. As a refugee with little savings who was paid less than his Lebanese colleagues, the impact of the financial crisis in Lebanon hit Yasin hard. Outside of work, as a refugee unable to move around freely or enjoy life, Yasin felt he was just surviving in Lebanon. He portrayed the situation:
"For us as Syrians, the checkpoint between cities is like a horror movie. Even though I had my living permit… you always think the worst”.
Despite suffering in Lebanon, the hardship Yasin experienced encouraged him to thrive and find ways to leave.
The first time Yasin heard about TBB supporting refugees to be employed abroad, he thought it was too good to be true. A friend encouraged Yasin to sign up to the Talent Catalog with his skills and experience. Two days later he was called about an opportunity with the NHS England Refugee Nursing Support program. The program aims to break down barriers for displaced nurses to be employed in NHS Trusts while offering them support to settle into living and working in the UK. The program also aims to find alternative talent pools to fill the current shortage of 50,000 NHS nurses in the UK.
Impressed by Yasin's knowledge and skills, a mental health Trust in the north of England offered him a job. Yasin arrived in the UK at the beginning of 2022 along with 30 other nurses.
Mental health nursing in the UK
Before moving to the UK, Yasin had given up on working in mental health. In Lebanon, there are few mental health hospitals and they only employ Lebanese nurses.
In his new role, Yasin’s clear passion for mental health shone. The Trust supported Yasin to transition from general nursing into mental health nursing, an opportunity he would never have been given in Lebanon.
Personal experiences inspired Yasin to pursue this career:
“When I was working in Lebanon I saw people in my hospital and most of them weren't just physically unhealthy, they were more mentally devastated, much more than they were physically ...they couldn't get the appropriate help for this because there's no specialist.”
“I've seen people in war, especially as post-trauma. No one would understand what's wrong with them. It's not just about your physical health. Anyone can just be overwhelmed. Anyone can be feeling mentally ill.”
Settling in the UK
Yasin has been flourishing at work, and speaks very highly of the settlement support his Trust gave him. He won a GEM (Going the Extra Mile) award, and was featured in the Trust magazine!
“The Trust were talking about my journey and how I went from war to another country, then I came to the NHS. So I won a GEM award for thriving for the best. I was really happy, everybody was really happy and supported me. They called me the superstar of the international nurses and the Trust.”
Yasin’s future aspirations are to keep learning more about mental health and to complete a related masters degree.
Screenshot taken of Mental Health Awareness online alumni event, held on Monday 15th May, hosted by Yasin.
Yasin’s Mental Health Awareness Week Session
Last week, Yasin held an online Mental Health Awareness information session, attended by TBB alumni and staff. The aim was to raise awareness about mental health and provide signposts to services and support networks. Another key goal was to foster connections and relationships between alumni, to empower individuals to support one another and serve as valuable resources.
In the session Yasin discussed mental health and wellbeing, common stressors that people can experience moving to a new country, and where to find support. He also spoke about his own experience of mental health nursing, and the stigma that different communities feel opening up about mental health.
The session was invaluable for alumni and staff, and we are lucky to have such talented alumni volunteering to support new arrivals!
When asked why it was important to host this information session, Yasin replied:
“I know how challenging it can be for people who are in a foreign country trying to build a new life, and how challenging life can be in general.
I’ve chosen the path of mental health for a reason and raising awareness is one of my priorities. I know how much a person can deny when it comes to mental health, but I learned never to underestimate it.
We are all prone and we all need support, but most importantly we need to look out for ourselves. And a huge part of my job is to look after people who couldn’t look after themselves and help them get back there.
Sometimes the simplest word can change more than you can imagine.”