Introduction:
1. What is your name?
Hospice East Rand nursing sisters answered these questions collectively as a group.
2. Which hospice do you work for?
Hospice East Rand
3. What do you do there?
As palliative trained nursing sisters, we visit our patients with life-limiting illnesses in the comfort of their homes. Our focus is on pain and symptom control which we manage holistically. This includes physical, emotional, spiritual and psychological symptoms.
4. How long have you been there?
Hospice East Rand has been running since 1986.
In-depth:
1. Why did you decide to focus on palliative care?
The choice to focus on palliative care was a personal choice for most of us as nursing sisters stemming from different personal experiences each of us has had. Most of us have been touched by a family member or friend who has had a life-limiting illness. There are also very few palliative trained nursing sisters and there is such a demand for this skill.
2. What gives you the greatest fulfilment?
The greatest fulfilment is seeing our patients symptoms and pain under control. Being able to provide them with a better quality of life and providing that personal touch to our patients in a one- on -one setting in the comfort of their home means everything. Also aiding in their end of life journey and watching them pass away peacefully provides a sense of purpose.
3. What do you find the most challenging?
Patient and family education is always a challenge. Hospices are associated with dying, where they are in fact there to assist in quality of life. We think this is often attributed to denial, resulting in a patient or family member reaching out to us at the last minute instead of at the time of diagnosis. For this reason we are often dubbed the ‘angels of death’ when in fact our aim is to assist in the quality of life of the patient and to assist both patient and family members on their emotional journey as well. Another challenge we face is dispelling the myths around morphine and educating patients and their families. There is a terrible stigma attached to morphine and dying, when in fact this is not the case at all.
4. What do you think people find the most challenging about a life-threatening diagnosis?
People are naturally afraid of the unknown and death. Death is not something we are taught to deal with and can be a daunting thought. People also struggling to digest life expectancy dates and when they are made to believe they only have so long left to live it is frightening.
5. What do you think that you personally bring to your job that reflects who you are as a person?
Compassion, positivity, communication skills, listening skills, resilience and a sense of humour.
6. How do you take care of your own health and balance?
We take regular periods of leave; have clinical supervision and debriefing as well as a close bond with our family of nursing sisters.
7. What is your advice to anyone else wishing to join your profession?
It is definitely a calling and you need compassion and resilience for this job. It is very different from being an ordinary nurse, but it completes you. There is a lack of skills in this field, so if you feel you have the passion then go for it.
8. What is your advice to anyone given a life-threatening diagnosis?
Your mind-set is everything and you need to decide how you want to tackle this journey. There is still a life left to live. Anyone can die tomorrow but that doesn’t stop people from living in the moment.
9. What is your advice to the loved ones of anyone who is given a life-threatening diagnosis?
This is the time to make your memories. Listen to each other, share with each other and cry together. You also need to allow your loved one to share their thoughts and feelings freely. Towards the end, enlist the help of a care worker to look after your loved one so you can focus on being there and just loving them.
10. How do your loved ones feel about the work that you do?
Our families admire our resilience but can take strain as well. This is not a 9 – 5 job. We are always on call which is not easy for them and adding to that, they often feel our emotions too.
11. What do you like the most about the hospice that you work with?
Our Hospice is more than just an organisation. It’s a family who supports each other and having a strong bond and teamwork are very important to us.
12. Do you have a “motto” that you tend to live by that you would like to share?
“Add life to your days and not days to your life!” – Nellie Xaba, nursing sister at Hospice East Rand and “To rise in life we must be down to earth, humble and grateful.” – Unknown.
