My role
I’m a community-based nursing associate (NA) for Demelza Hospice Care for Children. Children known to Demelza can access support at one of our two hospices or in a community setting; my team cares for children in their homes. I was the first NA in the East Sussex team.
A typical day
Every day is different. I visit about six families a week and work with children with complex health needs from birth up to 18-years-old.
It can be lonely and isolating for families caring for a child with a terminal condition, so I’m there to listen and help. Sometimes they just need someone to talk to about their worries for their child.
As well as clinical support, such as helping with gastrostomy (feeding) tubes, I’m there to give parents a break. I might take the child out for a walk or do painting or other activities they enjoy. Memory-making is important, so I take photos to share these experiences with parents.
Sometimes children will visit us at our centre as we have a sensory room, kitchen and facilities to offer parents respite, so I might work there too.
My responsibilities
As an NA I bridge the gap between health care assistants (HCAs) and registered nurses. I can provide most aspects of care delivery and monitoring, enabling nurses to focus on complex clinical work.
The NA role can provide people with a different route to progressing their career
How it began
I began working at Demelza as an HCA 12 years ago and have always worked with children with additional needs or disabilities.
Then, three years ago, Demelza advertised a trainee NA position so I applied. I’d gone through the application process before and missed the deadline, but this time, thankfully, I was accepted which was a huge boost for me. I originally wanted to be a nurse but didn’t have the right qualifications to go to university.
What misconceptions do people have about the NA role?
There’s more understanding about my role now but while I was on placement during my training, the NA role was often misunderstood. When people ask how my role differs from a HCA or registered nurse, I explain I’m not a registered nurse, but I’m a registered nursing associate trained to do additional clinical skills such as administering injections.
The issues now
We need to pay NHS nursing staff more, especially with the cost-of-living crisis we’re seeing now. There’s a shortage of registered nurses and we need to encourage more people into nursing generally. It can feel difficult to get into nursing if you don’t have the right qualifications to train, and this can put people off from applying. The NA role can provide people with a different route to progressing their career.
I’ll never forget
My placements. The pandemic hit as I began my course, so that made things difficult as suddenly everything was locked down, including universities. I did four placements including district nursing, a children’s burns unit, a children’s ward and in A&E. I also went into theatre to watch an operation which was interesting.
The best bit
Working with people and making someone’s day better. I enjoy having that one-to-one time with the children and their families; it feels good to be able to support them during such a difficult time.
The worst bit
Sometimes a child can be perfectly fine, but then they may receive a poor diagnosis and deteriorate quickly which is difficult for everyone. I try and focus on making memories and being supportive. I can always talk to my team if I’ve had a difficult day. It can be tough, but regular clinical supervision and support allows me to reflect on these situations.
How did you qualify to be an NA?
I studied a level five course for two years and got my University of Brighton Award in Health and Social Care Practice (Nursing Associate) FdSc. For this course, among other requirements, I needed my employer’s support and the guarantee of work-based supervision. I also had to be working for a minimum of 30 hours a week.
I wish I’d known
To be more confident. I became an NA last year and am hopefully the first of many at Demelza.
What’s next?
I‘d like to do my mentorship training which will allow me to further support HCAs so I can sign off and support them to achieve their competencies, but for now I’m happy where I am and hope to continue doing the role I love.
