As a child I was frequently told off for ‘staring’. I’d be nudged discreetly and sometimes firmly, mocked and told not to do it. I didn’t always recognise I was doing it, but sometimes I was lost in the staring – lost in the trying to figure someone out, trying to ‘see’ who a person … Continue reading It’s rude to stare..
*Jamie and Irene's names have been changed Driving home in increasingly thickening fog. Beautiful streams of light shine through the lulling mist I know at least three of the nine patients I have seen today may not still be there when I return tomorrow. ….They may well be part of the mist. And here we … Continue reading Misty December Nights
*Adeline and her cats names have been changed I named her Adeline because when I said goodbye to her for the last time I got in my car and a song called ‘Adeline’ by The Dip came on as I drove away. And so to me…and now to you, she became ‘Adeline’ as she took … Continue reading Adeline
Some nights you wake up every hour. Not ideal when you’re on the early shift this morning with the rest of the week ahead. Some nights some people just stick with you, and it’s visual - you can close your eyes and see their faces. See the framed photographs on the wall and the dog … Continue reading Some Nights
*Fraser and Marion's names have been changed. The snow began falling faster, I increased the speed of the wipers as the white fluffy flakes began to settle on the windscreen. I felt my shoulders rise and my teeth clench in anxiety as it became harder to see and a blanket of white started to cover … Continue reading Fraser
I was inspired to write this after spending a a study day at the wonderful Florence Nightingale Hospice in Stoke Mandeville. *Magdalena and Duke are fictional. The courtyard garden, centre stage to a surround of tinted windows and sliding doors, each one reflecting the colours of the garden. Behind every window is a life story. … Continue reading The Hospice Garden
It's really interesting to me to re-visit this reflection I wrote about *Grace. This was my first experience of a patient dying when I was a first year student nurse. It's so interesting to look back on especially now that I work in palliative care, to see the knowledge I had, or should I say … Continue reading From the Archives: Grace
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