Introduction:

1. What is your name?
Ann Hawkins

2. Which hospice do you work for?
Highway Hospice

3. What do you do there?
Domicillary Nurse

4. How long have you been there?
5 years

In-depth:

1. Why did you decide to focus on palliative care?
I have had family members who benefited from it.

2. What gives you the greatest fulfilment?
– Experiencing the comfort family and patients get from my support.
– Feeling as if I have made a difference in someone’s life.

3. What do you find the most challenging?
– Knowing I could provide relief from pain symptoms but patient / family won’t administer prescribed medication or patient refuses to take it.
– “Switching off” at the end of the day.

4. What do you think people find the most challenging about a life-threatening diagnosis?
It is often “not what they planned” to happen.

5. What do you think that you personally bring to your job that reflects who you are as a person?
A positive attitude and cheerful disposition.

6. How do you take care of your own health and balance?
– Healthy diet
– Hobbies

7. What is your advice to anyone else wishing to join your profession?
You need to be empathetic and aware that it is emotionally draining.

8. What is your advice to anyone given a life-threatening diagnosis?
– Don’t focus on how long you might have left (no-one is God!)
– Enjoy each day.
– Get all your affairs in order.

9. What is your advice to the loved ones of anyone who is given a life-threatening diagnosis?
As above.

10. How do your loved ones feel about the work that you do?
They respect my work.

11. What do you like the most about the hospice that you work with?
The people I work with.

12. Do you have a “motto” that you tend to live by that you would like to share?
“It’s not what you say, but how you do it”