Herold Pink believes it is vital to get to know all the residents and always makes time to talk to them. Photograph: Herold PinkI'm awake at 6am and grab a coffee before jumping in the shower. It's too early for breakfast, but there are usually some biscuits when I get to the office.
I iron my tunic and then brace myself for the 40-minute drive through rural Lincolnshire to the Eagle Wood neurological care centre in Peterborough. It's usually fine, but if I get stuck behind a combine harvester it can get the day off to a bad start.
I clock in before 8am, and make my way to the unit I manage, which cares for people requiring neuro-rehabilitation. Whoever has been on duty will tell me if there are any matters to deal with.
I make sure we have the right staffing levels for the day, check my emails and spend time walking round the unit on my own. It's vital to get to know all the residents – I always make time to talk to them.
One of my main tasks is to assess patients who have been referred to one of the five units at Eagle Wood. Earlier today I set off to Norfolk for an assessment on a man in hospital with young-onset Alzheimer's and, as is often the case, it presents its own challenges.
The aim of such an assessment is to understand a patient's circumstances, and find out how we can meet their needs at Eagle Wood. When I arrived at the hospital, the nurse assigned to me had only been working there for a day or two and didn't know the patient at all. I was left scratching my head.
I managed to piece things together by talking to some of the clinical team, but still felt short on detail. Fortunately, the patient's wife arrived and was able to help out with background information such as dietary requirements, toilet arrangements, family history, as well as small but important details such as how many sugars her husband takes in his tea.
Although I now work for PJ Care, an independent provider to the NHS, I have worked in the NHS and I know the pressure the nurses are under. But these kinds of unnecessary lapses can make it tough for the patient and their family.
I carry out assessments all over the country. I was recently in Putney, south London, and then Sheffield. Assessments can be in hospitals, at people's homes or care centres. When I'm away we have experienced staff looking after the unit, and I'm always on call if I'm needed.
When I return to the office I just have time for a sandwich before compiling my care report.
All residents have different needs, from specialist equipment like a hoist to a particular pressure-relieving mattress. Some have particularly challenging behaviour, such as aggression, that we need to take into account.
When I've completed my report, it goes to our head office in Milton Keynes where the finance team work out costings and forward a recommendation to commissioners.
Other matters on my agenda include checking a resident's medication, helping with training and supervision, and reviews of treatment and behaviour. At the end of the day I finish up by making sure staff rotas are up to date. I set out for home at around 6pm.
I've always wanted a career in healthcare. I initially wanted to be a doctor, but as an 18-year-old, spending eight more years in training and education just wasn't very appealing. I chose nursing instead. I qualified in 1988, have worked as a registered nurse in the NHS, spent a year working in Toronto, and have been managing care homes since 1997.
My work can be incredibly rewarding. We had one bed-bound gentleman brought in with a serious brain injury. He wasn't even able to sit up or speak. He had extensive physiotherapy, massage, psychological therapy and emotional support. Eventually we made a breakthrough and he was able to sit.
Then a little later, he began to talk. No-one ever expected it. It was the most amazing thing.
You know you're in the right job when you can witness something like this happen.
Herold Pink is unit manager at the Eagle Wood neurological care centre in Peterborough, run by PJ Care
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