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A hospice nurse has described how the challenge of looking after people at the end of their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic left her crying in the middle of a shift.
Lisa Ball, who is a staff nurse at the inpatient unit at ellenor in Northfleet , says the impact of the coronavirus outbreak for her and her staff has been huge in helping support patients and their families.
Healthcare workers have had to adapt to new ways of working more than any other profession, placing them under further pressure and having to fine-tune their skills and look out for one another.
But Lisa says a listening ear from a friendly face and a cup of tea have proven to be more important than ever to help her through the hardest emotional times.
Starting out as a healthcare assistant at Tunbridge Wells Hospital before making her way through the nursing ranks, Lisa says she took up her post at ellenor in March – just as the virus started to spike and lockdown was imposed.
"I hope the fact I’ve worked my way up gives me real perspective on what it takes to nurse effectively and compassionately," Lisa said.
"As a Gravesend girl – I wanted to put something back into my local community.
"Plus, I know work doesn’t get more hands-on than it does at ellenor and that the ethos here is all about taking time with patients and their families, both to treat them medically and to understand their needs as individuals.
"While my role will always be to support patients and their families medically, we’re also here to explain things to them and to make sure they understand the options open to them. Never has this been more vital than it is now, when Covid has thrown so much into chaos.
"Our patients and their families need the reassurance that we’re with them every step of the way, no matter what.
"We’ve been so busy as a team that the only thing we can do is keep on going. We’re still smiling behind our masks, but this has been an incredibly steep learning curve – from getting to grips with the practicalities of wearing full PPE to handling our own fears."
But Lisa says she understands the extra stresses faced by nursing and healthcare staff "is nothing" compared to what the families and patients are going through.
Being forced to stay away from loved ones while they are sick means it has been "incredibly difficult", with emotions high especially when social distancing and shielding rules meant nobody could visit relatives at the hospice.
"Quite understandably, patients and their families offload to us but it does get very tough at times"
"At least relatives can now come in to see loved ones under carefully controlled conditions – but for some that seems even harder," Lisa adds. "They can be together, yet they can’t touch.
"As has been the case for relatives of some of our patients who’ve come to us from hospital, seeing someone for the first time having not seen then for six weeks can be very traumatic indeed."
For Lisa and her colleagues though, it is all about being caring to help people handle the situations and the emotions.
Some patients are shielding until their final days meaning they will not have their family by their sides when the pass away.
But the staff at ellenor, like Lisa, are there to support them and be with them until the end, she says.
"The nursing staff are fine-tuned to changes in a patient’s medical condition, so we can alert the family the minute these occur and encourage them to come in if necessary. Never has our care and compassion been more important."
It is this part of the job which has been the toughest thing for Lisa which she says has left her feeling extremely emotional and has forced her to take herself away to one side.
"Quite understandably, patients and their families offload to us – that’s what we’re here for – but it does get very tough at times.
"I’ve been sat with my head in my hands crying, and someone else in the team will pop by with a cup of tea and just listen.
"It’s listening that’s the absolute essential skill for all of us at the moment, I think.
“The sheer scale of this pandemic has meant new, often frightening, circumstances, even on top of the life-limiting conditions our patients are dealing with."
However, not everything has been about struggles. The team is proud of successfully getting people home and out of the hospice setting and the speed at which they've achieved it.
"The sheer scale of this pandemic has meant new, often frightening, circumstances, even on top of the life-limiting conditions our patients are dealing with"
Lisa added: "One man was back with his wife and daughters within eight hours. Outside agencies such as occupational therapists have worked with us to ensure everything necessary – a hospital-standard bed, for instance – is in place at home as quickly as possible, too, meaning it’s practical and safe for the patient to return.
“With patients and families often feeling powerless, we’re doing all we can to sit down with those who come in and talk through all their concerns. But we’re spending far more time on the phone rather than face-to-face, which is so frustrating for everyone."
And Lisa believes her colleagues will all come through stronger in the future after facing the most difficult of circumstances for the last six months and counting.
"The fact that ellenor has coped, is coping and will continue to cope with professionalism and kindness even in these very hardest of times makes me know how strong we are as a team and gives me faith in the future," she said.
"We are here for our patients and their families and for one another, and we always will be."
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