This International Nurses Day (12 May) nurses from Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice in Reading have spoken about their roles in palliative care and why working in a hospice can actually be ‘full of joy’.
Sue Ryder Nurse Annabelle Elliott, 30, hopes by sharing her experience she will inspire more Registered Nurses to get in touch to find out more about the benefits of pursuing a career with the palliative care and bereavement support charity.
Annabelle, from Reading, says: “Even as a student nurse I always had a passion for palliative care, and I knew quite early on that I wanted to look after people towards the end of their life. I firmly believe it is the greatest privilege you can have as a nurse.
“I knew a lot about Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice before I worked here because my grandad was cared for at the hospice 26 years ago, as was my husband’s grandma in 2020. I started working at the hospice just over a year ago and I absolutely love it.
“My role involves everything from looking after the patients and their families, making sure someone is comfortable and sometimes just sitting and holding their hand. The most rewarding part of my role is fulfilling someone’s last wish – we have had weddings, trips to the pub – every day you’re faced with something different.
“There is a common misconception that hospice care isn’t as skilled, but the reality is that it is very fast paced, but the difference is the patients don’t know that. For them, we make sure we are calm and they feel at ease.
“It’s anything but a depressing place to work, some days are sad, but a lot of the time they are full of joy as you are helping someone to live their final days the way they want to.”
Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice currently has vacancies to join its friendly and welcoming team. Sue Ryder Nurse Ellie Hawes, 45, recently joined the team and wants to share what it’s like working at the hospice.
Ellie, from Beenham, started her healthcare journey later in life, and began working in palliative care at the hospice in September. She says: “A lot of people think hospices are just about end-of-life care but they’re not at all, a lot of our patients come to us for symptom control and we help to manage their pain so they can return home again.
“And when we are supporting someone towards the end of their life, we’re still not focusing on death, we’re encouraging them to live their last few days, whether that is by going outside or being with family and friends. The most rewarding thing we can do in our role is give someone a dignified end to their life.
“I think it’s important to celebrate all nurses this International Nurses Day, every nurse in every healthcare setting does such incredible work. I also want to celebrate my amazing colleagues – a lot of people don’t understand why we work in palliative care, thinking with are surrounded by sadness, but we are not!”
If you would like to find out more about our vacancies at Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice, you can visit our website at www.sueryder.org/jobs/
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About Sue Ryder:
At Sue Ryder, we can’t make life’s most difficult moments easy, but we can carry some of the load. For more than 70 years, we have been a source of strength and support for anyone living with a life-limiting illness or grief.
Dying and grief are universal experiences, but too many people face them alone. We are a safe and reassuring hand you can reach for.
From providing care and support for someone at the end of their life to helping someone manage their grief, we know there is no one size fits all when it comes to how we cope and the help we need.
We campaign for everyone who is approaching the end of their life or grieving to have access to the right support, at the right time. And we seek to break down the barriers to talking about dying and grief – so we can all be better prepared and better equipped to be there for each other.
We can make a positive difference during even the darkest of times. Whether in the last months, weeks or days of life, or living with grief, we help people live the best life they possibly can. We are there when it matters.
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