Introduction:
1. What is your name?
Ngikau F. Kunene
2. Which hospice do you work for?
St Francis Hospice
3. What do you do there?
Home Care Sister
4. How long have you been there?
9 years
In-depth:
1. Why did you decide to focus on palliative care?
My mother and my brother were diagnosed with Cancer and I had to care for them both and I was interested to train for caring to these patients.
2. What gives you the greatest fulfilment?
I am able look for these patients with confidence especially when it comes to pain management.
3. What do you find the most challenging?
There are a lot of challenges especially if patients have got a wound which you can see.
4. What do you think people find the most challenging about a life-threatening diagnosis?
The fact that there is no treatment – to use analysis for pain which is the most common symptom anyway is working.
5. What do you think that you personally bring to your job that reflects who you are as a person?
To take care of a person and put yourself in his/her shoes then look at whatever is coming and cause it to stop or feel better.
6. How do you take care of your own health and balance?
I try to make myself to be steady and equal.
7. What is your advice to anyone else wishing to join your profession?
Must have perseverance.
8. What is your advice to anyone given a life-threatening diagnosis?
Must believe in the Almighty and trust him.
9. What is your advice to the loved ones of anyone who is given a life-threatening diagnosis?
With me, when my twin sister was diagnosed it was scary but with experience I had to endure God is the one who knows.
10. How do your loved ones feel about the work that you do?
See me as somebody brave to look after terminally ill people, but also exposes me to disease.
11. What do you like the most about the hospice that you work with?
Teamwork, working together and helping with patient’s problems.
12. Do you have a “motto” that you tend to live by that you would like to share?
Immune therapy – Are we on our way to a cure for cancer?
