Rebecca, Rowcroft Student Nurse
Why I chose to start my career with Rowcroft Hospice
During my time on placement in my second year of my nursing degree, I was offered the opportunity to reach out to different areas of interest to gain experience in other areas of nursing where I thought I may like to work in the future.
I had really enjoyed my time helping with end-of-life care in places I had worked prior to starting my degree. I decided that I would like to see if palliative care was something I would like to pursue further and contacted Rowcroft to ask about the possibility of joining the team for my spoke placement. I spent two weeks on the inpatient unit and felt like I had found the place I could see myself working in the future.
Finding my nursing niche
Funnily enough, it was after just one week at Rowcroft that I felt like I’d found my nursing niche, and on the Monday of my second week on the spoke placement, the opportunity of a student nurse sponsorship came into my inbox.
After just two weeks with the Rowcroft team, I felt a stark difference in the way the inpatient unit was run. I was treated with dignity and respect by all members of the team, from the housekeeping staff to the Doctors who were all welcoming and always willing to offer advice and their time, Something I hadn’t felt in previous placement areas.
Rowcroft felt like it was going to be the place for me to start my career, feeling supported and most of all encouraged to work autonomously by staff instead of feeling like a cling on which I have felt in many placements before.
I asked various members of staff for feedback on my time at Rowcroft and this was done immediately showing a real sense of teamwork, something that I value very highly in a workspace!
Palliative nursing at Rowcroft
There is no doubt that palliative nursing is hard. Especially as a newly qualified nurse. But I feel at Rowcroft, the teamwork and compassion showed by the staff I have met so far, made me feel like for the first time in my training I had found what I wanted to do and a nurturing environment whereby I would be encouraged to be successful.
The values set out by Rowcroft, team players, honesty and integrity, generosity of spirit and respect, are fundamental aspects of being a nurse, but after spending two weeks at Rowcroft, I have seen these values exemplified.
And the nurses Rowcroft have, are what I aspire to be.
They always say, patients and their families may forget your name, but they never forget the way you made them feel – Palliative nursing absolutely epitomises this phrase. It is so much more than changing a dressing or administering medication, and that is why I have found such a strong passion for this area of nursing. You have one opportunity to change a patient and their family’s experience with palliative care, and it is an absolute privilege to be a nurse on that journey with them.
