Just think how lucky we are to have individuals living amongst us who see it almost as their calling to look after us and the people we love in the final months, weeks and days of our lives?
That’s what the amazing people who work in our hospices do every day and every night. They are here to care, support and reassure patients and those important to them, when they need it most. That’s why they deserve our thanks – and our support.
Those skills were needed even more for the patients who spent Christmas at the Hospice of the Good Shepherd. They had the people they love around them and there was joy and laughter. For our catering team, it was a privilege to serve Christmas dinner with all the trimmings and be part of a wider team that helped create memories and enabled patients to squeeze every pleasure from life.
Staff Nurse Kate was also on duty alongside her nursing colleagues. She offered to work both Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
“I have always felt passionate about palliative care nursing and feel really proud to work at the hospice,” Kate explained.
Kate worked in elderly care nursing before applying for a role on the Inpatient Unit (IPU) here at the Hospice. “I had no idea how I would get into palliative care nursing but then the advert appeared for my current role here at the hospice. I was over the moon when I got the job.
“I feel so lucky that my vocation is to nurse palliative care patients, and the hospice feels like such a special place for patients and staff alike.
“Here at the hospice we have the time and space to get to know the person behind the patient, to find out about their lives and hear their stories. Everyone has a story to tell. Patients need and deserve to be heard and my colleagues and I love having the time to listen,” Kate explained.
“Creating relationship and building a rapport is such a privilege and it enables us help patients and their families to start those difficult conversations that can be so important in the last stages of life. It’s about making sure that nothing is left unsaid. It’s also about making sure that we deliver the best patient-centred care we can.
“I enjoy working alongside a dedicated team of like-minded and incredibly knowledgeable professionals, and I feel proud of the difference we make.
“That’s what makes this such a very special place to work – you only have to see the feedback from patients and their families and all the ‘thank you’ cards that are on display to realise how special our work is and what a difference we make at the most difficult time in anyone’s life. My role is incredibly rewarding.”
Kate continued: “We want to be caring above and beyond as we always do throughout the year but especially at Christmas time. It’s so important that everyone gets the chance to feel some Christmas magic.
“It can be the little things that make the biggest difference. If families have Christmas Day traditions that are important to them, we will do everything we can to recreate them.
“We can still create happiness and precious memories out of a sad time. In fact, we will make things happen that patients and families wouldn’t believe could happen – everything from arranging special meals and recreating Christmas early, to arranging for special pets to visit their owners – even a horse!
“We do as much as we can to support all our patients’ wishes and needs, and we work tirelessly to ensure that our patients’ preferences are always upheld.
“That’s what makes Christmas for me such a special time to be working. It’s very personal – I remember little things about every patient I’ve ever cared for here. I’m sure it’s the same for all my colleagues too.
“Although Christmas is a time of great joy and hope, for me and many other people it’s also a time when we carry sadness and grief for the loved ones that we have lost.
“I think it’s important for all of us to acknowledge that sense of loss and sadness but still find the space to celebrate life, love and special relationships.”
Kate added: “All the people we care for are amazing. They are people who have lived, worked and loved: I love hearing about their favourite life experiences and memories and also getting to meet the people who are most important to them.”
Kate concluded: “The hospice feels like a place filled with love and laughter. There is so much love and courage on a hospice ward. Perhaps patients can’t do everything they’d like to do time but it’s so fantastic to be able to support them to still do what matters most to them, especially at Christmas.”