HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE CARE A Rewarding Role


Donna Walker, Assistant Practitioner in Practice Development at LOROS Hospice in Leicestershire, explains why she finds working at a hospice incredibly enriching.


There is a shortage of 3,500 palliative nurses in the UK, which is predicted to double by the end of the decade according to a survey by Marie Curie and Nursing Standard.


Working in end-of-life care can be challenging as people are at the end of their life which can put off nurses, but it’s an


incredibly rewarding job. It’s a role where you can make a real difference to


someone at the end of their lives.


The skills needed are the same as all healthcare roles. You need to be caring and compassionate, as well as a people person. You need to be dedicated, hardworking and have good communication skills to be able to speak with patients and their families at a difficult and stressful time in their lives.


Being interested in people is essential because you are dealing with lots of people daily, from patients and their families, to nurses and consultants. I work as a trainer so I’m dealing with other staff as well as our team of volunteers. You need the human touch and to be able to lead by example.


I have been working at a hospice called LOROS for sixteen years, first as a healthcare assistant on the ward and for the past five years as an assistant practitioner.


LOROS provides free, high-quality, compassionate care and support to terminally ill patients, their family and carers, both at the Hospice and in patients' own homes across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.


I work as part of the practice development team delivering training to internal and external staff. This includes delivery and assessment of the Care Certificate to newly recruited healthcare assistants. I also work in a clinical role directly with patients on the ward when assessing staff and apprentices during their training.


I was inspired to work as a healthcare assistant aſter seeing the great work they do when I had my daughter in hospital 27 years ago. I studied for a year and successfully applied for a healthcare assistant post at Leicester General Hospital where I worked for 10 years.


It was a colleague of mine though that inspired me to move to LOROS. Her father had died at LOROS and had received such great care that she decided to work there. Aſter listening to her talk about the hospice it sounded like a great place to work.


The day-to-day role of a healthcare assistant at the hospice involves supporting registered nursing staff and other


- 22 - www.tomorrowscare.co.uk


members of the multi-disciplinary team in the delivery of high-quality end-of-life care. This might involve observing and checking vital signs, as well as helping the nurses when they administer medicines or put in catheters.


My role is to support with education and training. I’m responsible for training staff to ensure they have the right competencies and knowledge. Areas I train include communication skills to support people in distress, moving and handling patients and I’m the ‘dignity’ lead trainer at LOROS.


Most people think hospices are sad places to work. Of course, we are caring for people at the end of their lives but LOROS is bright and welcoming, and the atmosphere is positive and friendly. Patients and their families oſten comment on how they feel a sense of homeliness and warmth when they first arrive.


LOROS is an extremely peaceful and calming environment. It’s surrounded by greenery with a beautiful woodland walk that can be used by patients and their loved ones as well as the staff and volunteers. It takes a dedicated and compassionate person to work at a hospice and I would highly recommend it to any healthcare professional looking for a rewarding career.


www.loros.co.uk


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