‘Everyone’s needs are different’
Thousands of nurses in Wales and across the UK have threatened to strike over pay. Here, two valued and experienced members of the workforce explain their roles and how they help patients
Healthcare support worker Robert Royles WORK in a small local nursing home where we care for a maximum of 42 people. There really isn’t an average day at work because every day is different, with its own blend of challenges and opportunities.
However, every day I know that I will be exceptionally busy, from start to finish.
I was drawn to nursing because I really like the idea of being able to care for, and spend time, with older people, who have had a lot of experience in life.
Caring for older people is a really rewarding and satisfying job but it can also be physically and mentally tiring. It can be quite tough when a person becomes unwell and their condition deteriorates.
So it’s important to make sure, as far as possible, that the person is comfortable, pain-free and feels safe.
A day’s work often includes laughter and fun as it’s easy to build strong relationships while caring for people who are in their own home. It’s quite a privilege, really.
I am saddened that for some of the people I care for, verbal communication
Iis difficult and they are unable to share their stories.
One way of finding out more about someone’s life and identifying things that may interest or engage them, is to chat with their family and friends.
Often, there are quite simple things that can be done that can really help people settle and feel valued.
As part of the nursing family, I support registered nurses in providing nursing care that is centred on the individual needs of the person – everyone’s needs are different.
My duties include helping people with washing and dressing, eating and drinking and mobility.
Sometimes I accompany the people I care for to appointments or during days out to local attractions.
The people we care for include all ages who need 24-hour nursing care with varying degrees of independence. The nursing care we provide is tailored to maintain and, if possible, increase this. HIV specialist advance nurse Stewart Attridge s an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in HIV and sexual health I tend to deal with the secret lives of patients.
Many of us still cling to rather traditional views of sexual health, and when they arrive in a sexual health clinic many patients utter: “I can’t believe I’m here.”
We can believe you are here – and it’s our role to help you have a happy, safe and satisfying sex life.
I spend most of my days managing the care of HIV patients. Most people will be aware that HIV is now medically a stable, chronic condition.
Sadly society’s moral stance on HIV
Ahasn’t kept pace and I often find myself saying the same thing to a new patient: “Some people try to equate HIV to diabetes; yes it involves the use of medication to control the disease state, but diabetes can’t be passed on. People talk openly about diabetes. We don’t talk about HIV.”
My mornings are normally spent seeing patients at Cardiff Royal Infirmary, a normal clinic involves seeing around eight patients from new diagnoses to those who have been stable on HIV medication for many years.
The bonus of doing my job is seeing the patient journey. They meet me when their world has been turned upside down. We try to reassure and tell them life will get back to normal.
I also run one of Cardiff Royal Infirmary’s Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP) clinics, a new approach to HIV prevention – a course of daily medication to stop any HIV infection before it can multiply in the body.
This is a new concept in sexual health but sometimes PREP isn’t the answer. Instead some patients just need an open discussion about what they want from sex and relationships.