St Richard’s Hospice in Worcester was celebrating the care and dedication of the charity’s nursing team today on International Nurses Day today. ( Tues 12th May)
Each year the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) encourages and leads the celebration of the work of nursing staff on 12th May, Florence Nightingale’s birthday.
St Richard’s Hospice Care Director June Patel said, “I am so proud to be a nurse and welcome the opportunity to publicly recognise and celebrate the wonderful work of our nursing team.
“I am in a privileged position to lead, support and nurture our highly skilled 49 nurses and 30 Health Care Assistants working in the community , our In-patient unit and Day Hospice. An important aspect of my role is to encourage creativity and support our nurses to be passionate about continually developing ways in which nursing care can improve the experience of our patients and loved ones at the end of their lives. On a daily basis I am overwhelmed by the standard of nursing care provided which is confirmed by feedback from patients, families and carers in letters, cards and through social media.”
Mrs Patel added, “Nursing care at St Richard’s Hospice is also driven by our values and ethos as a hospice informed by love, care, compassion and leadership . These values underpin our philosophy of nursing care and on a daily basis we strive to ensure that our nursing teams have the appropriate time to care.
“We are inspired by the founder of the hospice movement in the UK, Dame Cicely Saunders, and her approach to care at end of life – ‘You matter because you are you . You matter to the last moment of your life and we will do all we can, not only to help you die in peace but also to live until you die.’
“As we celebrate Nurses Day today, we must also celebrate the many achievements of our nurses working at St Richard’s. We are blessed to have such a committed and caring team and their passion for nursing care demonstrates, so beautifully, the essence of nursing in practice.”
St Richard’s Hospice provides free specialist palliative care for patients living with life-threatening illnesses and supports their families. Each year the hospice team supports over 2,600 patients and family members in Worcestershire with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
Patients are cared for in Day Hospice, the 17-bed In-patient Unit or in their own homes by a specialist professional team as well as many trained volunteers.
In the In-patient Unit, specialist staff are on hand 24 hours a day to manage patients’ symptoms and where, if appropriate, patients may spend the last few days of life in comfort and dignity. St Richard’s is an independent charity and is grateful for all donations to help it to continue its work.