I’ve been working as a nurse for the hospice for 10 years within the Community Specialist Nursing team, having previously worked on our Inpatient Unit from 2002 to 2006. However, for the last 18 months, I’ve been developing and working on Ashgate’s Virtual Ward. 

In my role as the Virtual Ward’s Team Lead, I’m responsible for supporting all the patients on the Virtual Ward. I’m involved in home visits, assessing and examining patients and prescribing as needed, on top of all the usual team lead responsibilities. 

I put my all into supporting staff both on the Virtual Ward and in the wider Community Nursing team, ensuring we can all support the patients and those important to them to the best of our ability. I am very clinical, and patient focused, so as long as I am seeing our patients, I am happy. 

I’m proud to represent and be an advocate for Ashgate. I take great pleasure in sharing the joys of my job with others, highlighting that working in hospice care is not solely about sadness. 

It’s deeply rewarding to provide compassionate care and witness the positive impact it has on patients and those important to them. Managing and improving a patient’s complex symptoms in the comforting environment of their own home is a privilege.

Every day, I see the difference it makes ensuring a patient can die in a place they prefer and feel comfortable in. 

So many people have known someone who has been in the hospice or someone the team took care of. It’s a real conversation starter! I’ve always been well-supported by the hospice in my career development. I completed my BSc in 2016, and I subsequently am on track to complete my MSc in April 2025 in advancing clinical practice. 

Alongside my personal growth, I take great satisfaction in supporting and educating colleagues both within the hospice and the community. I am keen to help them develop their skills and enhance their ability to support our teams effectively.