Nursing Heroes!

We have been very privileged to gain a real insight into the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on health and social care by talking to some of our incredible healthcare heroes.

From a highly experienced nurse with 42 years’ service to a student nurse embarking on a career in healthcare, those at the frontline tell us that the pandemic has changed their everyday lives in many ways and strengthened their determination and resolve to provide the best possible care and support for their patients.

To acknowledge and thank everyone working in health and social care, we want to share the thoughts and experiences of our outstanding key workers.

Community Spirit

Volunteers at Blythe House Hospice in the High Peak, Derbyshire, have provided over 1440 support calls and visits to local people during the coronavirus pandemic. The team of almost 50 volunteers has been on hand to help with tasks including shopping, collecting prescriptions, providing transport to medical appointments, telephone companionship and pet-walking.

Ruth Brown

Hospice at Home Manager at Blythe House Hospice

Julie Forrest has helped to coordinate efforts: “We listen to the needs of those around us and adapt our services to fill those needs in the here and now.” Alongside volunteer efforts, the hospice team has provided hundreds of hours of telephone support. Common queries have included planning for end-of-life care, changes to treatment plans, and combatting isolation and loneliness. Adults and children have also received counselling and bereavement support.

A dedicated mental health advice webpage has received more than 700 visitors since it was launched. Hospice at Home, providing 24/7 palliative and end-of-life care in the comfort of patients’ homes, has continued throughout the crisis, with additional PPE being provided to help control the virus.

Ruth Brown, Hospice at Home Manager, explained: “Staff have demonstrated great qualities of resilience and compassion despite the threat.” To find out more about current hospice care, please visit: blythehousehospice.org.uk/keeping-you-safe-information-on-coronavirus.

We’re Going to Keep Going

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Treetops Hospice at Home nurses have been on the frontline, continuing to provide vital end-of-life care to terminally ill patients in their own homes. The Hospice at Home Service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Liz Docker, a Treetops nurse, shared an insight into her recent experience: “As a carer looking after somebody who’s very ill, it’s extremely difficult at home. It can be extremely stressful and really tiring. When we arrive, we get to know the patient and the family – and then they can go and get a good night’s sleep and we do everything that’s needed during the night. We’re used to going into these situations where people are very, very ill and where the family is very stressed, but we have got this extra risk going on at the moment.

There is a level of anxiety amongst us because this is a situation that we’ve not had to deal with before, but this is not the time to stop giving the care that we give. And that’s just the kind of people we are – we’re going to keep going until it’s physically impossible not to.”

Liz Docker

Nurse at Treetops Hospice at Home

A True Passion to Care

These unprecedented times have caused chaos for many individuals around the UK – especially student nurses. I’m Hannah and I’m currently studying paediatric nursing at the University of Manchester. The last few months have been very different for student nurses, as many of us have had to opt in to help on the frontline to fight COVID-19 and to ensure we all qualify next year. For me personally, I have found it hard to settle into a placement out of my field of nursing. I have been working with adults due to all the paediatric placements being taken.

Although this has been interesting, I am looking forward to going back to paediatrics. COVID-19 has created challenging circumstances. Nevertheless, I believe this pandemic has created better healthcare professionals and has allowed us to show the nation our true passion to care.

Hannah Simkins

Paediatric Nursing Student at University of Manchester

Communication Has Been Vital

Communication seems to be the buzzword at the moment. COVID-19 has been a challenge for every care provider, whether they work in the NHS, social care or the private sector. Communication between team members has been vital in keeping up with the latest research to keep everyone safe, and this appears to change and update policies every day.

But what if you are a patient? Looking after our patients during lockdown has been challenging for us and, at the very least, confusing for the patients in our care. Visiting stopped prior to lockdown in early March, so staff have had to find new ways of making communication possible between patients and their loved ones. Nursing staff have had to learn to become technology operatives and teach patients how to use mobile phones and tablets that relatives have left for them to use – we have seen many happy tears over video calls. Emails, letters, photographs and pictures that grandchildren have made to decorate the ward have all been very welcome.

Judith Vincent

Registered General Nurse at Babington Hospital

It has not been unusual for patients’ relatives to exchange items through the window, which has also been a great opportunity for them to wave and shout goodwill messages to their loved ones. One gentleman even got some fish and chips delivered! But for nurses and carers, we have had to be inventive in the way that we have delivered care.

The organisation of virtual best-interest conference calls with all stakeholders and socially distanced home visits for the safe discharge of patients have challenged the best of us. Virtual doctors’ rounds and phone consultations are now commonplace. But isn’t this inventive way of working what nurses and carers are good at – organisation, thinking outside the box, and changing the way we work due to the latest research or, in this case, a new virus which has completely rocked our world.