Each of our teams hold a vital piece of the puzzle in making up Hospice Isle of Man. Our Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Team are a central part of our healthcare team. They are usually the first people you will come into contact with here at Hospice. They ensure that patients can access care in the place of their choice.
Next, let's get to know Eugene Wilson. Eugene is a well-loved member of our CNS Team, he is a Clinical Nurse Specialist and has been here at Hospice for 9 years now.
What does a day look like in your role?
"My day begins at 08.45am with an MDT with the rest of the CNS team, Hospice at Home, Social Work, the Nurse Consultant and the Consultant Doctor. Discussion will be to assess the bed state, availability in our IPU and discussion for appropriate patients to be admitted and if there are limited beds who is the priority patient to be admitted. Patients can be based in Nobles, at Home, in Ramsey Cottage Hospital, in care or residential and nursing homes. I liaise with GP’s, district nurses, Nobles Medical Team, Acute Oncology ANP’s and Community Nursing stores for all types of equipment to assist patients in the community. We then have new referrals come in that are dealt with daily and triaged accordingly. I also teach regularly on In-house subjects for Hospice and delegates from all disciplines attend."
What’s your favourite thing about working at Hospice?
"I enjoy 'making a difference' – I truly believe it’s a privilege to care for Palliative Care patients and their families, to be able to help them at such a poignant time in their lives. Patients and families are so grateful, and it has been said to me that they feel 'safe that they now have someone to call'."
Share a highlight story or a favourite memory from your time at Hospice.
"I can recall visiting a distressed patient at home who needed to be admitted to the IPU. The patient slowly deteriorated whilst an inpatient and ending up on end-of-life care. The patient loved music and played vinyl records at home. I arranged for the patient to bring in some Vinyl records and the record player which gave the patient enormous pleasure. I shared some stories about my Mum who is 97yrs young and this patient wanted to give me a Vinyl LP of Neil Sedaka - who my Mum loved – I could not take the offer of the LP but thought that the gesture was so sweet that it actually brought a tear to my eye – this is a moment that I will not forget and made me think – 'this is why we do this job, it’s the best job ever'."