Meet Respond’s stoma care nurse, Helen! 👩⚕️
To celebrate International Nurses Day, we sat down with Helen to find out more about being a nurse for Respond Healthcare.
Here’s what she told us…
How did you get into nursing?
My Mum tells me I always talked about being a nurse, even before I could say the word hospital. As part of my Duke of Edinburgh award I volunteered in our local hospital and enjoyed it, so when I went for interview, I was lucky to have a little experience to call upon.
It was different “back in the day” where we were assessed by an aptitude/IQ test at 16 years, and those results and interview decided my fate.
How long have you been working for Respond?
11 years, it was owned by a different company then, it has grown well since.
What does your role involve?
Seeing stoma patients who have encountered problems in their own home mostly, but we do have a clinical room in the Larne DAC and have clinics there for those patients able to travel. I occasionally see patients before and after surgery in hospital. I work closely with the Respond customer service advisors and anyone who calls them with a problem will be passed on to me. I see patients who have developed hernia and fit them for support belts. I carry out education/ training sessions for anyone who deals or cares for ostomates, this can be in nursing homes, patients own home, and along with a urostomate, we train airport security staff together. I cover Northern Ireland so it’s a large area for 1 person, but we have a beautiful country so it’s not difficult.
What is your favourite part of being a stoma nurse?
Problem solving, I enjoy being able to heal painful skin, or help stop pouch leakage, or help someone coming to terms with having a stoma. Patients don’t get life easy at times it’s nice to be able to help turn that around for them.
What does being a nurse mean to you?
To help someone live their life to the full, for me, is the best feeling ever and someone saying thank you biggest compliment we can get. Being a community nurse means patients know they can call on you, sometimes it just takes a phone call to help.
Can you tell us a fun fact about yourself?
I’m a farmer’s wife, so at the weekend I’m usually out helping, being a larger lady, my hubby tells me I fill a gate well…. nothing gets past me!!
I love to have friends in, so I do a bit of cooking and baking too.
Helen x
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