Sponsor a Nurse: Julia's Story

Julia, Senior Registered Nurse

What is special about being a hospice nurse?

"When I worked in a hospital, I would often end my shift with the feeling that I hadn't been able to give a patient enough time.

"Here in the hospice, although we have really busy days, we can give people more time. Recently, a lady needed her pain brought under control, and that's the specialist side of our work. But she also needed a bit of a hospice hug. She hadn't been able to have a bath or wash her hair for ages, and we helped her to do that. Just that simple thing made such a difference to her, because we all feel more human when we're relaxed and clean, don't we?

How does it feel to care for someone at the end of life?

"The end of life is an important stage in all our lives. It may sound corny, but it really is a privilege to be with a person at that time. There was a gentleman who was dying late one night and I just sat with him quietly and held his hand. His family were unable to be there, but they were so grateful to know that I'd been present and that he didn't die alone.

"Of course, there are days when you have to get on with the job despite feeling emotional about something that's happened here. But I've been at the hospice for 13 years, so I think that says it all, really."