When St Luke’s clinical nurse specialist Debbie Hutchinson received her prestigious Queen’s Nurse badge and certificate at a ceremony in London recently, there’s one special person she would have loved to be with her to witness the occasion.
Debbie’s late husband, Al, was always 100 per cent behind her ambitions, encouraging her to go for her dreams, and always over the moon when she reached her goals. Knowing that he would have been bursting with pride was one of the main reasons she decided to go through the rigorous assessment process to become a Queen’s Nurse.
It’s a title currently held by only 2,500 nurses in the UK – including St Luke’s Nurse Consultant Jen Nicholls – and it represents a commitment to the highest standards of patient care, learning and leadership.
“Before I retire it’s something a bit special. Not that I’m retiring yet; as long as I am useful and effective I will carry on!” said Debbie, who just turned 70 and was treated to a surprise party by her friends and colleagues at the hospice.
“I’ve kept the title a bit quiet, but Al would have been shouting it from the rooftops! When I got my first nursing degree, he was more excited than I was – he told everybody! I know he has gone now but I want to make him as proud as I can.”
Al died seven years ago. Losing the love of her life has spurred Debbie on to make sure she does everything she can to help St Luke’s patients and their families have the very best experience possible.
“It has given me an invaluable insight into how people feel when they are losing someone close. I can see it from their point of view, and I don’t want their last memory of their loved one to be clouded by pain or symptoms that cannot be managed. If I can take away even one ounce of pressure at such an important time it means a lot to them, and it also means a lot to me.”
When Debbie came to work for St Luke’s community team in 2014, she wasn’t expecting herself and her family to benefit from the professional compassionate support of her close colleagues just three years later when Al became terminally ill.
“I nursed Al at home and he also had his own St Luke’s nurse. I was so against anyone else helping me because I felt it was my calling to take care of him. Then I developed painful tendonitis in my hands and wrists. That’s when the crisis team (now the Urgent Care Service) came in and took that pressure away. I don’t know how I would have managed without them. Some of the girls who cared for Al are still here and they remember him as being very cheeky!
“They were great with the whole family. I have two daughters, and my four amazing grandchildren who were helped so much by St Luke’s Patches initiative when Al was dying. Lisa was brilliant with them; they made memory jars and that helped them come to terms with losing their granddad.
“I understand how patients’ families can be very reluctant to let go of that caring side and we are not there to take it away. We are there to help and support. It meant that I was able to look after Al as a wife rather than a carer.
“He was the most amazing man in the world. He was able to make every person he met feel special. He was so generous with his time and his love. He was 24 years older than me, a former Royal Marine and a freemason, and latterly a taxi driver. He did everything he could for people and hopefully I have carried on that legacy.”
Debbie started her working life as a secretary, becoming PA to the managing director of a local printing company. After marrying Al and having their daughters she did all sorts of jobs, working in a pub and as a home help before becoming a care assistant at Mount Gould Hospital.
She decided to do her nurse training and went on to work for many years as a district nurse.
“I knew as soon as I started nursing that this was right for me. I had found my niche. This was what I wanted and needed to do. When I came to St Luke’s I absolutely loved my job straight away.
“I am just one cog in the wheel, and I could not do any of this without such a fantastic and amazing team. This is not a 9-5 job; they are going above and beyond every day. If you work in a factory, you can go home and forget about it until the next day. I’m often waking up at 3am and wondering if a patient is OK.”
It breaks Debbie’s heart to think about all the people out there on their own at the end of life, with no family or friends.
“St Luke’s aim is for no one to die alone or in pain and we do our very best to make sure that doesn’t happen. Compassionate communities are really important too – a kind word and a bit of empathy goes a long way.”
Debbie is passionate about passing on the knowledge she has gained from both aspects of end of life care, especially to the student nurses who come to work with the team.
“A lot of them say they like watching me working, witnessing how I speak to the patients. It helps them to understand end of life care better. I don’t think many of them realise how much is involved in what we do until they see us out in the community visiting people and liaising and co ordinating with the other health care professionals.”
Something Debbie is particularly delighted and proud about is the special link she has helped to develop between St Luke’s and Plymouth Argyle, her favourite football club. Tickets gifted from both PLG and Classic Builders allow two patients and their carers special access to enjoy all the club’s home games, knowing they will be well looked after.
Debbie only started going to Argyle five years ago when her daughter convinced her that she might like it… she was hooked from the first half.
“The atmosphere was contagious. I bought a season ticket straight away. It’s a really supportive community and you get drawn in by it. It’s about all being together for the same purpose and wanting your team to do well. When the crowd sing the Janner song their pride in Argyle and Plymouth is just amazing.”
Debbie works closely with volunteer Elliott Darcy who looks after the patients on the day and makes sure they are safe at the ground.
“I wasn’t instrumental in starting the relationship – that was another nurse who no longer works with us, along with Penny Hannah, our head of fundraising, who gave me the opportunity to lead on it.
“When you get a patient who isn’t be able to get to Argyle any more and you make it possible, they just love it. It’s so special when they get to meet players and coaches – I don’t think they realise how much it means to patients. They put footballers on a pedestal and it’s wonderful when they realise how down to earth and nice they are.
“We had a fantastic relationship with player Finn Azaz, before he was sold to Middlesborough. He even went to see patients and their families at home or in the specialist unit, which was amazing, and we are now building strong connections with other special people at the club.
“I have my St Luke’s community and my Argyle community and to see them merge together is the icing on the cake.”
And Debbie’s Queen’s Nurse title – presented to her by the inspirational nurse Dame Elizabeth Anionwu – is the cherry on the top.
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