BLOG: Helping hospital patients live well to the end
Located on the eighth floor of Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, with offices just outside Brent Ward, is our busy Hospital Team providing bespoke care for patients at end of life and supporting the families around them. They are there seven days a week, across every ward, with the core team made up of two doctors, six nurses and administration support, while the extended team includes a chaplain, physiotherapist, occupational therapist and welfare rights officer.
Recently, the team has been joined by a new colleague, Specialist Nurse Becki Harris, so we spoke to her about her role, what it means to be part of the team, and what motivates her to want to make a difference at Derriford.
Becki, who is from Bristol, moved to Plymouth two years ago, attracted by our beautiful coastal location and the quality of life here. She worked as a Chemotherapy Nurse with Healthcare at Home, looking after private patients with cancer, which is when she first witnessed St Luke’s in action as our team is involved in the care of these patients at times of crisis. It was seeing the way they work and the positive difference this makes that fuelled her desire to work for our charity.
Becki said: “As part of my nursing degree I studied aspects of palliative care, and my dissertation looked at the different experiences of patients at end of life – those in hospital with no palliative care teams and the extent to which their dignity was maintained compared to those being cared for at home by a team with end of life expertise.
“Then, working as a hospital nurse, I saw for myself that when patients received bespoke end of life care it had such a positive impact, not just on them but on the loved ones around them, too. This is so important because a negative or traumatic experience can really stay with families long after, hampering them in all sorts of ways and making it more difficult for them to come to terms with their loss. Meanwhile, those who see their loved one receiving compassionate specialist care from a team that has the time to explain things and put them at ease find it incredibly reassuring have more peace of mind. This helps them, both at the time and going forward because their lasting memories are so much more positive.
“I was delighted to secure the job within the team at Derriford, and everyone has been so welcoming, from the doctors to the admin staff.
“The name St Luke’s is so loved and respected, and I feel incredibly privileged to be part of the team at the hospital, helping to remove some of the fear and anxiety people feel at such a challenging time.
“I love problem-solving and getting to the heart of what matters to those we look after. Sometimes, just a five-minute conversation with a patient or their relative can make the world of difference to them and it all helps to change their view of what it’s like to be in hospital.”
Becki is so enthusiastic about our charity and what we contribute to our community that she has been making things a family affair, enjoying Elmer’s Big Parade with her boyfriend’s young niece visiting from Leicester and giving her mum – who works in a hospital in Bristol – an pin badge to attach to her lanyard, which has sparked conversations with others.
This young nurse is also willing to quite literally go to great lengths to raise money for St Luke’s – she’s set to take the 15,000ft plunge from a plane when she skydives in aid of us next year!
