I am coming up to my 14th year as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in the Community Team at St Raphael’s, visiting patients in their own homes and supporting them over the phone.
It is such a friendly, warm, supportive place to work. You really feel part of a team here and we all know each other. The Hospice has changed since I started but the role itself hasn’t – the integral part is being able to communicate with patients and look after them and those close to them.
The best thing about my role is going to visit patients. It’s a privilege to make a difference to someone at the end of their life. Everyone I meet has led such different lives, but we are there at the end, hopefully making a positive impact.
People cope in totally different ways and I gauge that when I go and visit patients and their families. Sometimes relatives can say that they are coping but I can see they are struggling. I try to encourage them to open up about how they are really doing and offer support and reassurance to them.
Giving patients time is so valuable when they are scared and facing the uncertainty of symptoms and unknown changes. With calm and compassionate expertise and reassurance, I help patients feel less isolated and overwhelmed at one of the most difficult times in their lives.
Every day is different. I can go from one patient who is coping well to another patient where the family is distraught, or they are living in terrible conditions. Sadly, it’s not that rare to find people with no support network around them at all and living on their own. I work with my colleagues to try to find services to help with their care to put more support in place. Patients can often be shocked when they are first referred to us and we say the word ‘hospice’. Sometimes people ask us not to use the word hospice – they are scared of what it means. They can come across a little distant or guarded at first because of their fear. But once they realise I’m there to listen and support them, I can see them gradually relaxing. As I’m leaving that first visit, they often say, “When are you coming back?”
Sponsor a Nurse
By sponsoring a St Raphael’s nurse today, you will help me and my fellow nurses make sure that more people live the fullest life they can, until the end. Even a small monthly gift today will help us to make a positive impact for people in your local community for months or years to come.
Test Page RC
