A NEW recruit at a palliative care facility in Tilehurst says she loves making a difference in the community where she lives.
Sarah Johnston has been appointed as the head of quality and community services at Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice.
Her role is to manage and develop the essential services that it delivers to people living with life-limiting conditions in the community.
“When I was a district nurse in Henley I had a colleague who was really passionate about palliative care and making sure people were well looked after at the end of their life. I credit her for inspiring me to move into this area of nursing,” she says of her new role.
“I saw one death very early on in my nursing career that has always stayed with me – they were surrounded by their loved ones with candles lit and music playing and it was just beautiful.
“That might not suit everyone, but it spurred me on to help people achieve what feels right for them at the end of life.”
Ms Johnston, who has spent many years working as a district nurse across Reading, joined Sue Ryder after working as the clinical lead for the inpatient unit and community team at Thames Hospice.
“When I saw this role at Sue Ryder I thought it looked too good to be true,” says Ms Johnston. “I love that I am making a difference in the community where I live and what has really stood out to me since I joined the team is the lovely atmosphere and just how supportive everyone is.
“It’s been a busy first few weeks and I have learned so much already.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know the team better and building relationships and trust, which is so important in this role. More than anything I have been blown away by the kindness I have been shown – it is clear that the staff here will go above and beyond not just for their patients, but colleagues too.”
Part of her role is developing and delivering the community services provided by Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice, Sue Ryder Palliative Care Hub Berkshire in Newbury and Sue Ryder Wokingham, ensuring the provision of high quality specialist care centred around the needs of patients and their families.
The community team is made up of experienced Sue Ryder Nurses who deliver expert and compassionate care and support in the community with the aim of keeping patients at home and preventing unnecessary hospital admissions. They work alongside the hospice’s multi-disciplinary team of physiotherapists, occupational therapists and lymphoedema specialists to provide a holistic wrap-around package of palliative care.
“In palliative care you only get one chance to get it right. It’s a really delicate time, not just for the person that is dying but for their whole family. I knew I wanted to help people and make the experience as good as it could be in the situation,” she says.
For more details, log on to: sueryder.org
