Here at the hospice, we’re really proud of our amazing team and the commitment that they show every day. This International Women’s Day, we asked some of the women of the hospice to sum up in a few words what drives them to want to make a difference to the patients in our community, who need us. Here’s what some of them had to say.
‘Working as a nurse can be incredibly challenging. Working unsocial hours, public holidays and on night shifts can be physically, emotionally and mentally exhausting. Let’s face it, there aren’t many jobs as stressful as watching over the lives of other human beings. But we learn, we grow, we move forward down the line and we bounce back. We are RESILIANT’ Melrose Dixon-Jones, Clinical Nurse Specialist
‘Many of the people that use our services have gone from being a person to a patient through their multitude of appointments, treatments and hospital visits. Rehabilitation and wellbeing in palliative care is all about restoring the patient back into a person – our focus in palliative care is not to cure, but to ensure that a person is able to live as well as they can for as long as they can in a way that is important to them’
‘Being in a hospice environment makes one realise that traits, such as vulnerability and empathy, which may traditionally have been perceived as weaknesses, may not necessarily be so and can actually be transformed into something powerful, especially when it comes to deciphering the nuances of human emotions’
Swagata Basu Pajor, Senior Human Resources Manager
‘Eleanor Roosevelt once said “A woman is like a tea bag – you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.” This is a fitting quote for an Events Manager! There are always challenges every day however I draw strength and inspiration from the resilience of the patients and their loved ones we are supporting, the dedication and warmth shown by my hospice colleagues and the difference we are making to families’
Augusta Adu, Events Manager
‘Not how long, but how well you have lived is the main thing’- Seneca – Living well while you’re still alive is a value we possess at the hospice – I am encouraged and extremely proud to be a part of people’s journey in life, every life has a story – a life well lived.’
Tracey Cook, Team leader for psychological and social work