“I usually do early shifts with a 7 am start or late shifts which start at 1.30 pm. My day starts by making sure that the right staff are allocated to the children based on their skills and what the child needs,” says Adrian.
“Straight away, I’m on hand to manage any issues and take care of the daily checks on equipment and medication,” he adds.
In a children’s hospice, the cliché is true: no two days are the same. The team can – and do – plan each day, but there’s always a very real chance that emergency stays or end-of-life care admissions will come in.
“We’re always prepared for urgent or end-of-life admissions, and focusing on the needs of that child, making sure we have the right medication and equipment and meeting the family’s needs is our priority,” Adrian explains.
“A Lead Nurse leads the shift. We’re the people colleagues come to for troubleshooting, advice and support. We lead one-to-one meetings with the team, reflect on the care that we’ve given and take care of the team’s wellbeing.
“We also do a lot of governance work like audits, checks, looking at – and implementing – feedback from families, making rotas and… the list goes on!”
As medical care advances rapidly and the needs of the children we look after are becoming more and more complex, it’s crucial that Tŷ Hafan stays ahead of the latest treatments and technologies to provide a seamless service between home, hospital and hospice.
“Innovation is a big part of my role,” Adrian explains. “When new equipment, technologies and techniques come in, we do audits and testing to see if they would be suitable for Tŷ Hafan and the children we look after. Thinking outside the box about how we can reach as many children as we can and meeting their often very complex needs is so important for us.
“We’re privileged to work with the children and families here. I came to Tŷ Hafan from A&E which is really fast paced. I didn’t have time to talk to people. Here, I have that opportunity to learn more about them, their personalities and their conditions.
“Here, it’s often about long-term care and helping children live a fulfilling life. It’s about getting to know them, looking at them as a whole and then asking how we can help enhance their lives.
“I really love my job. I know that might seem strange because not everyone loves their job, but I do love coming in and working with families and the team.
“A lot of people say they couldn’t be a nurse at a children’s hospice. So, I always say that it’s lucky that there are people who can!”
Thank you, Adrian!