Sarah Marquis, Community Team Leader, shares her passion for the District Nursing Team.
The District Nursing team are so much more than clinicians, they are a family! Knowing that every day we have the privilege to be the difference in someone`s life is what drives our unwavering motivation and commitment to providing the best possible care to our patients. This is never more important when facing the complexity of end of life and the multifaceted skills required to support the patient and their loved ones through this journey. Developing a relationship with our patients so that they feel heard and valued is crucial to the care we deliver so that the patient and their wishes are always at the heart of what we do. Whilst we cannot change the outcome for our terminally ill patients, we can have absolute influence on the experience of death our patients and families encounter. Through compassionate, highly skilled, intuitive and emotionally supportive care we are able to achieve a “good death”.
A story that sticks in Sarah’s mind is that of Patient X. They were a long term patient following a spinal injury which left the patient paraplegic but sadly patient X began to deteriorate due to multi-faceted health conditions. The Nurses had seen patient X over the last 4 years and over this time had developed a very strong relationship with both patient and his wife. The patient and his wife explained when given the terminal prognosis that it was the relationship with the District Nurses that cemented their decision for patient X to die at home. They explained that their faith and trust in the care the District Nurses delivered enabled them to feel safe and supported during this difficult time. Following patient X death Mrs X shared the below message:
“Thank you for your dedicated care and support over the last 4 years. Patient X and I looked forward to seeing each and every one of you and you always managed to bring a smile and brighten our days. Your help was invaluable to me personally and I will be forever grateful. The support you gave us in his last days meant so much and gave me the strength to get through such a difficult time”.
Thank you Leyland District Nurses for sharing your story.