For International Nurses Day we celebrated our fantastic nurses by sharing their experiences and stories from across CUH.
Helen's story
Covid has changed us. Never have I had to make so many decisions about such significant issues in a single day. Like many others, I was exhausted
I have worked at CUH for 22 years. I leave on 13 May to go on secondment the NHS national team so thought #IND2021 was an amazing opportunity to reflect on my time here given that CUH has been such a large part of my nursing career!
22 years and five jobs during that time. I started as a clinical nurse specialist. Today I’m head of nursing. Lots happened in between. Lots has happened in the last 12 months! I have had the most amazing career at CUH and I’m proud to be part of this amazing team.
Covid has changed us. Never have I had to make so many decisions about such significant issues in a single day. Like many others, I was exhausted.
I saw the technology we have really come to the fore and change the way we work. I hope the journey continues!
I saw, and continue to see, the dedication and passion of our nurses, all striving to give the best care they can to their patients. Even though for some, it was a different group of patients than they usually care for.
I hope that they all see how amazing they are and what a difference they made and still make each and every day.
I hope they all go on to enjoy an amazing career at CUH as I have done.
Anonymous submission
I am extremely proud of the way my whole team rallied together at the beginning of the pandemic. We work in a nine bedded acute oncology unit for emergency reviews of a very vulnerable group of patients.
Very early on in the pandemic we became very aware of the need to isolate our patients with potential Covid symptoms.
Myself, my matrons, junior sisters, staff nurses and healthcare assistants all worked together to create a temporary isolation area for these patients. We quickly organised equipment and supplies as well as the logistics of making the area work.
Salvatore's story
Being a nurse is my way of living and it’s a role that does not end when I leave the ward. I put other people before myself – their needs and their care.
My passion for nursing prompted me to move countries to achieve my dream of actively contributing to people's lives in one of the most innovative hospitals in the country.
For me, being a nurse is not only about healing the suffering of patients, but supporting my colleagues, sharing experiences, learning from each other and being there for each other. This has proven to be true in the last year more than ever.
Having worked in many areas across this amazing hospital, from the medical wards to Covid wards and from intensive care to A&E, I truly feel that despite our differences we are all a big family; some of us were born here, some of us have met friends for life or fallen in love here, some of us gave birth here, some of us have sadly passed away here but live on in our hearts.
Being a nurse is my way of living and it’s a role that does not end when I leave the ward. I put other people before myself – their needs and their care. I am with them when others can’t be and help them to overcome their suffering by reminding them of their everyday lives and their loved ones; I hold their hand when they have no one; I listen to their stories. As a nurse, I want to inspire others to never give up, to remain positive and to keep moving forward.
Anonymous submission
Our team have shown dedication, expertise and ability to turn their hand to everything that has been asked of them.
I would like to give a huge shout out to #researchnurses.
NIHR Cambridge Clinical Research Facility would like to share our experience of what we did during the Covid-19 pandemic, as we couldn’t be prouder!
Our team have shown dedication, expertise and ability to turn their hand to everything that has been asked of them. They have established and led teams across the campus to deliver complex Covid-19 research trials such as Covidx (Point of Care validation SAMBA testing machines), TACTIC platform trials, CUH staff screening and testing programmes and Covid vaccine trials, all whilst ensuring research continued.
We have a state of the art endoscopy suite where we were able to undertake day-case standard-of-care minor procedures for cancer patients, continuing 2-week cancer wait endoscopy diagnostic service for the trust.
Alongside this, we worked with clinicians across CUH to establish follow-up clinics for patients admitted to CUH with Covid-19 post-hospitalisation.
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