‘You have to be able to care for yourself as well as your residents’ 05 February, 2021 Adefolake Olatunde from Sanctuary Care, who won Overseas Nurse of the Year at the Nursing Times Workforce Awards 2020, describes her role in caring for older adults How would you describe your role to someone you’ve just met? “I’m a registered general nurse in Sanctuary Care’s Riverlee Residential and Nursing Home; a care home for 75 residents. My role in the nursing-dementia suite involves providing person-centred care to residents, including those requiring end-of-life care.” What made you want to become a nurse? “I was about six when I observed my mother wearing her white uniform, black belt and her nurse’s cap one afternoon on her way to work. In my little mind, I saw her transform into an angel. This started my interest in the profession and I made up my mind there and then, I wanted to become a nurse.”