Sarah Appleyard started working for St Barnabas Hospice in November 2018 as Bank Staff. She then took a permanent contract in January 2020 at the Inpatient Unit and has moved over to join our North-West Hospice at Home team last November.
Sarah said, “I decided I wanted a career change following a family death. I had worked at the hospital for several years and always took pride in delivering in a high standard of end-of-life. But, losing someone close to me gave me the drive to specialise in the area and it is a decision I have never regretted.
“There are so many things I love about my job, but the first thing that comes to mind is time. I have so much more time to give to patients and their families, I can build a good rapport with them, and have the time to fully get to know each patient and their needs, meaning I can deliver high-quality care and ensure our patients have what they need to have a ‘good death’.
“The whole team that is St Barnabas feels more like a family. Everyone, although all different, are so supportive of each other. It has been hard starting a new role in the community as I have always been ward based, and due to the pandemic haven’t had the same opportunities to shadow another nurse or even just get to know other staff members in the office. But, my new team have been so supportive, they are always there on the phone of team video calls for support and advice and it has ensured I still feel a part of the team.
“Everyone I have worked with is so driven and passionate about delivering gold standard palliative and end-of-life care and I am genuinely so proud of to be a part of the team.
“I have recently started discussions with my colleagues about hopefully introducing new ideas into our team to help many of our patients achieve things from their bucket lists in a different way due to the pandemic and for patients who may be too unwell to travel.”