Spotlight on staff
There are a multitude of different staff members that make up the
St Ann's Hospice team. Below we throw the spotlight on some of these.
Rick Catlin
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How would you best describe your role at St Ann’s Hospice? Very interesting. At times liberating; at other times a little frustrating. So many people do so many different jobs it can be difficult to remember who does what! It has been a challenge getting staff to consider that not only is infection control vital to protect patients but is also key in protecting staff. What is a typical day for you? I wish I had a typical day! My day often involves: educating clinical and non-clinical staff, patients and visitors; working with the multidisciplinary team; and communicating with city, regional and national working groups about best practice. As the first dedicated infection control nurse in a hospice in the UK I have had the opportunity to input into national programmes and projects with the Department of Health and NHS Institute (what is this?). I feel this can only improve infection control in hospices, and will help the Department of Health to understand the complexities of delivering infection control within a palliative care setting. What previous experiences have helped you in your post? Having worked in the same job in a very busy NHS acute trust has made me realise just how privileged I am to work in such a supportive environment. Decisions are made because they are the best decisions and not because it is the cheapest option. My previous experiences have also helped to prepare me for the challenges of working across a number of sites, in what can sometimes be quite a complex organisation. What are your greatest rewards? Working more closely with patients and the knowledge that my work will help to improve the quality of patients’ care, and subsequently their quality of life, is very rewarding. Also, being able to work in an environment that is patient-focused and which aims to protect and educate all staff, but most of all having the opportunity to work with such a wonderful group of committed staff has been its own reward. Challenges you face? As one of the first dedicated hospice infection control nurses, it can be difficult being the pathfinder, as acute or community care advice often doesn’t fit in with the needs of a hospice. Working with best practice guidance, and making it work with the holism of the hospice and palliative care philosophy, can also be challenging."
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Aileen McCarthy, Receptionist
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As Receptionist, I am the first person patients and visitors will meet on entering the Hospice. It is important that everyone is welcomed in a warm and friendly manner. I welcome new patients to the hospice and ensure that they are met by a member of the team from their allocated ward. As first point of contact I need to be sure of all personnel and their role within the hospice Typical Day I am not sure that there is a “typical day”; you can be faced with a variety of different things. Normally at the start of the day I will change the telephones over from night service, change the CCTV tape, open and distribute the post, type the Events List for the following day which is placed on the board in the entrance hall to notify people of various meetings and courses taking place within the hospice. Patient information bulletins are distributed to the appropriate department and outgoing mail is franked and sorted for collection. In between these normal tasks, I greet patients, visitors and answer the telephone and sell and record various novelty items, stamps, lunch vouchers for staff and record and itemise cash received before passing to the Finance office. Previous Experience I have always worked within the public sector; I trained and worked for the GPO as a telephonist. This training has proved invaluable when speaking to people on the telephone and meeting them in person. I have also worked for the Gas Board in their Customer Service department during the time of the conversion from town gas to natural gas and gained a lot of experience in how to cope with people who were distressed, frustrated and angry and unsure of how to access information about which service they required. I have always enjoyed meeting and talking to new people. Toughest Challenge As you can imagine the hospice reception can become very busy in a short space of time. Visitors, patient admission, outpatients all arriving at the same time and then last but not least the telephones ringing. It is a constant challenge to deal with everyone and remain calm. I do have a number of colleagues I can call on to come and help when necessary. The hospice is continually growing and expanding its services. We recently had a new telephone system installed and to coincide with this nearly every week there are new extension to be added and it is a challenge to keep the telephone lists updated. Greatest Rewards When I first walked through the doors into the hospice I knew I wanted to work here and working on reception has given me the opportunity to meet a lot of remarkable people. When I first told my family that I was going to work in a Hospice, their
initial reaction was like so many other people, “I don’t understand
how anybody could work there!” People tend to think it is all doom
and gloom but I can assure you that is not the case. Obviously there are
sad times but on the whole it is a very warm, friendly and dignified place
to work. I feel very privileged to meet so many remarkable people and
become friends and I feel very lucky to work at the hospice in a job that
I love doing.
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Sue Taylor
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People often ask what an Inpatient Service Manager does. In times gone by the term 'Matron' may well have applied. But the frilly hat is not the only thing that has changed. The role of Inpatient Services Manager can best be described as diverse. Responsible for management of clinical activities within the Inpatient Unit, it also encompasses working alongside colleagues in both Community Services and the Institute to develop services for patients and their carers. What's a typical day for you? I can honestly say that I don't think there is such a thing! Although each day starts off the same by attendance at the 08.30a.m. Multi-disciplinary Team meeting where I catch up with what has happened overnight followed swiftly by the admissions meeting, anything can happen thereon in. Much of my time is taken up communicating with staff and ensuring that they feel informed and involved in what is happening. An open door policy means that I never quite know what to expect but ensures that my day is never dull! A recent photograph of me holding an enormous cabbage donated to the Hospice just about sums it up! What previous experiences have helped you in your post? Prior to working at the Hospice - (I can just about remember!) my experience working as a Ward Sister influenced my choice of career. I was fortunate to work alongside a consultant who practiced (although it didn't have the name then) palliative care. Since coming to the Hospice, my belief that we can and do make a difference has sustained me in the differing roles I have undertaken. What are the toughest challenges you face? Maintaining clinical involvement whilst being involved in the managerial and development work. For me this is vital, it is the reason I work at the Hospice, it's where I get my buzz! Palliative care is constantly evolving. Keeping abreast of current issues both clinical and managerial is an ongoing challenge but being part of a developing service is an exciting position to be in. What are your greatest rewards? Being allowed back on the wards when they are desperate for staff! It's surprising who the nurses will put up with when they need a pair of hands. I do, of course, have to run the gauntlet - "Are you a new bank nurse?" "Not bad for new girl" etc. The pleasure of seeing that the care staff deliver is of the highest standard despite the ever changing nature of what we do brings its own rewards. 20 years in and I am still learning, still committed and firmly believe
in what we as an organisation can achieve. |
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