A nurse manager, who is in charge of providing palliative care services across West Wales, has praised her team ahead of International Nurses Day (Saturday, May 12).
Andrea Rees is a Marie Curie Clinical Nurse Manager for Mid and West Wales, and is in charge of community nurses who provide care and support to people living with a terminal illness, and their families in their own homes.
She spoke of her role and the role of her staff in communities in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Powys ahead of International Nurses’ Day on May 12 – a day to mark the contributions nurses make to society.
“Our team – they are a brilliant bunch of people, they are all exceptional members of staff, and I am proud that I am managing them,” said Andrea, who began her nursing career on a surgical ward.
“The majority of them are healthcare assistants, there are Registered Nurses, a Senior Nurse and a Nursing services facilitator.
“Some of the conversations they have with patients can be challenging, difficult and emotional so it is essential that staff are well trained, confident and competent in their work and it is my responsibility that this happens.”
Andrea, who is based at the hospice’s Dafen office, was working in a care setting when she began her nurse training, and had originally planned to train in mental health.
“But the more I was learning and seeing – and I saw the good and the poor practices in end of life care unfortunately – I knew from the time I qualified that I wanted to go into Palliative Care.”
To gain nursing experience, Andrea began her career on a surgical ward at Morriston Hospital, before she began working in palliative care at Ty Olwen.
“That’s where that sense of team work and looking after each other came from,” she said.
“I was able to nurse the way I was taught to and it showed me that people can have a good death.
She then worked on an Acute Response Service for almost a decade, before she made the move to Marie Curie in 2015.
“I’ve got a passion to ensure everyone deserves high quality end of life care that can be accessed quickly when people need it,” waid Andrea.
“I was aware of Marie Curie’s reputation, and I had done some bank shifts as a registered nurse for the charity around 15 years ago. I remembered some of the team when I joined, because it’s such a small community in palliative care in this part of Wales.”
She and the other clinical nurse managers across Wales, along with the Regional Manager work very closely together.
“I feel very supported in my role,” she said.“That then filters down to my own staff, so you get that level of support whether you’re a HCA (healthcare assistant) or a manager in the office.
“We are quite a small team and look out for each other. The nature of our work means we hear some very sad stories, so staff are given an opportunity to talk about any concerns or challenges they had with any patients/families-that may be individually or as a team this could be in the form of a discussion in a team meeting or over the phone. Staff are encouraged staff to pick up the phone to have a chat.
“I feel the role is very multi-faceted and layered – from working around sickness, to training and catching up with staff. It is stressful, but that stress is mental and emotional rather than physical.”
