“Working in the community is like a family. Everyone seems to know one another, and everyone looks out for one another. Even when things feel challenged the District Nursing teams still go out their way for the community.”
Gina Holt is an Administration Officer for the Burnley West District Nurse Team. She has worked for the Trust for six years and her previous role was a receptionist at main outpatients.
She said:
My role involves taking phone calls from patients and the relatives of housebound patients who need a visit from the District Nurse for treatment for a new or existing condition. They also care for patients nearing the end of life.
We receive distressing phones calls from patients in pain and agitated, but that’s part of the job and our priority is to get a District Nurse out to them asap.
This job makes you question your own mortality and put things into perspective. It makes you appreciate things more and I don’t sweat the small stuff anymore!
District Nurses are an essential service and it’s always lovely to receive a thank you call from one of the relatives.
My role isn’t patient-facing, but I still build up a bond and good relationships with patients because of talking to them frequently on the phone. There was one lady who needed lots of support in her last few years of life, so I had lots of lovely chats with her. I was invited to her funeral and got to meet her family which was lovely, especially when they told me that they’d heard good things about me.
I’m also the wellbeing officer for the team and make sure I’m always there for the nurses - I feel like their mum! They are all so busy so I’m constantly checking in with them to make sure they are OK! I was nominated for Non-Clinical Worker of the Year at last year’s staff awards after my team described me as “the absolute glue that keeps the team together”. That was wonderful to hear.
I love my job. I love being able to help people and love working with the District Nurses. We are like one big family.