Theatre staff nurse Antonija Sabljic has become an integral part of the team at West Midlands Hospital in Halesowen after making after moving from Croatia.

Antonija was keen to experience working in a UK health setting after spending her 27 year career working at two hospitals in the Croatian city of Zagreb.

After gaining clearance to work in the UK, Antonija made the bold move to team up with her new colleagues at the Halesowen unit in 2015.

Antonija started out as a registered nurse at the Sestre Milosrdnice (Sisters of Charity Hospital) in Zagreb where she spent nine years between 1988 and 1997.

She then moved to the Public University Hospital in the city where she worked from 1997 to 2015, firstly as a theatre staff team member before progressing to become the Theatre Lead.

The mother-of-two reached the point where she wanted to pursue working in another country to experience how a different hospital operates.

After going through the relevant channels and gaining clearance to work in the UK, she secured a job as a Theatre Staff Nurse at West Midlands Hospital in Halesowen where she supports a range of theatre surgeries and procedures each week.

Antonija said: “Coming to West Midlands Hospital was a fantastic opportunity for me and one I was keen to grasp with both hands.

“I’d really enjoyed my time working in hospitals in Croatia but I wanted to experience something new and my family gave me their full backing in making the move.

“It is very much a team focus here and everyone has made me feel so welcome. I feel like I have been here a long time.”