This is the day in the life of Joanne Gillespie, a Senior Sister here at Dove House Hospice!


Jo started at the hospice in September of 1991 as a Junior Staff Nurse.
 

What attracted you to you join the Dove House team?

My first ward out of training school was Oncology and we looked after a lot of palliative patients. I just thought that this was me and never really looked back. My second choice would have been Cardiology which I also loved. My feeling though around palliative care was that you could really give so much to the patient at the most awful time of their lives, and I loved being able to give them that care. It is really special being with someone at end of life, such a privilege.
 

What was the first thing that struck you about Dove House when you came for the first time?

When I came for my interview I was overwhelmed about the feeling I got when I came into the hospice reception, it really felt so right. It was as simple as that really! And I feel the same now as I did then, yes it is very different due to expansion of building and services we provide, but the heart of Dove House has not changed.
 

What do you feel makes Dove House special?

The patients and our close-knit team as well as the feeling of the place when you walk in. Our patients also sense that when they come which is so important.

What do you look forward to each day?

Every day is different and challenging, I suppose I can always say I never get bored! My day never starts out as I intend it to!
 

What are the moments that stand out for you during your shifts that make a difference to you, patients and your team?

It is the little things really. Being with a patient and their family is special, and seeing the look from a relative knowing that you have made a difference to them means such a lot - being able to take some burden away.
Also, sometimes it is little things like getting the off duty rota sorted, you would not believe how happy that can make me feel just knowing that the unit is staffed well and therefore safe for our patients.

What does a typical day look like for you?

It’s difficult to tell you everything it’s a bit like how long is a piece of string!!

The first job of the day is always seeing how the patients are doing and checking the staff are ok, then problem solving anything that has come up since I was last on shift. Then it’s ward handover usually followed by various meetings and catching up on emails.

I am part of the Clinical Management Team and the Senior Nursing Team so I am often in involved in working on projects or developments about how we deliver our care and can make improvements to our practice.

Obviously, I also spend a lot of time on the unit checking in on the patients and the nursing team.

The list can go on and on and really no day is typical! The biggest common thing is communication with everyone, and this can be anything from chatting with an upset relative or dealing with a staffing issue, working with colleagues from other areas of the hospice or making plans for future care.
 

What are your biggest achievements while working at Dove House?

Being able to make a difference to someone who is at the most stressful time of their lives, it really is that simple.

I am also very proud that I have been promoted from my original role of Junior Staff Nurse up to where I am now.
 

What are your hopes for your future at Dove House?

That we can reach out to more patients which is challenging at the moment due to the restrictions we have and that we can continue to survive day to day doing what we do best.