60 seconds with Shanthini Avorgbedor
How long have you worked at Whipps Cross Hospital?
I started my new role at Whipps Cross Hospital a month ago, but interestingly my first staff nursing role was in the Margaret Centre over 15 years ago. It’s great to be back and it’s fascinating to see how the hospital has evolved over the years and that there is a breadth of educational opportunities available for staff.
What encouraged you to consider palliative care as your speciality
Before I began my nursing career I worked in a care home. I also experienced the death of my mother around the same time, and watched how nurses provided her with comfort and care. I realised that I wanted to become an advocate for palliative care and help people by giving them comfort and happiness during their final days.
I left the Margaret Centre, worked at an acute hospital and completed a Master’s degree in palliative care. I realised that I had a passion for teaching other, so I lectured students had joined the palliative care master’s programme at the South Bank University. My current role allows me to combine education with clinical practice, so I now have the best of both worlds!
What are the highs and low points of working in palliative care?
I think the high points are when you see that our system is working, and it’s genuinely rewarding when you do help to fulfil someone’s last wishes. We helped one patient to go to Wembley as he was desperate to watch a live football match during his final days with us. He was so grateful for our help, and this is just an example of how a small thing can make a really big difference to someone. We also want the patient’s family to have pleasant memories with their loved ones which can help them when they experience bereavement.
It can be challenging when you’re exposed to death and you resonate with a patient’s experience. We do have support networks for staff who deal with upsetting and difficult scenarios. We host group discussions, reflective time and allow for time management to ensure our staff feel supported and feel well at work.
How can other staff find out more about palliative care?
If you’ve got a passion for working with palliative care patients or feel that you’d like to develop within this speciality and bring new knowledge to your own clinical areas, then I’d love to hear from you. I’m hoping to form a group of palliative care champions who are keen to learn new skills, and will become confident enough to train other staff. I’d also like to create a support group in September, that encourages palliative care nurses to collaborate with colleagues working in local nursing care homes and hospices in the local community. Building stronger relationships with our partners will enable us to gain better training and improve communication so we can deliver the best patient care possible.
My next goal is to improve advanced care planning, so that we can monitor someone who is dying and make sure that we are able to grant a patient’s last wishes. and provide sufficient support to their family members or loved ones. This gives patients the opportunity to discuss sensitive topics such as funeral arrangements in a safe and mindful environment.
Finally tell us an interesting fact about yourself
I love chocolate! It’s the perfect cure to a long and stressful day.