Nursing in the community - full length film

Summary

The transcript highlights the experiences and reflections of community nurses, emphasizing the personal, compassionate care they provide to patients of all ages. They discuss the flexibility, variety, and emotional rewards of their work, from managing complex medical care to offering emotional and spiritual support. The nurses also speak about their dedication to keeping people out of hospitals, focusing on holistic, patient-centered care. Despite the challenges, the job is highly fulfilling, allowing them to make meaningful impacts on patients' lives while fostering deep, personal connections.

Takeaways

• 😊 The speaker became a community nurse to spend more time with patients and make a meaningful difference in their lives.
• 🏡 Community nurses provide holistic care, allowing patients to remain at home, offering a wide range of services from physical to spiritual support.
• 👶 Community nurses treat patients from 18 years old to the elderly, covering all types of nursing care needs.
• 🎯 The unpredictability of the job is a positive aspect for the speaker, as every day presents new challenges.
• ❤️ Building strong relationships with patients is central, with nurses often becoming like friends to the individuals they care for.
• 💼 The speaker highlights the importance of communication in community nursing, along with using advanced skills like injections, assessments, and prescribing.
• 🌈 Community nursing is described as emotionally rewarding, despite dealing with tough end-of-life situations.
• 📚 The speaker has developed more skills working in the community than in a hospital, with a broader scope for learning.
• 🎁 Memory boxes were discussed as a way to leave meaningful items for loved ones, with the reminder that they are not only about giving but also receiving.
• 🏥 The speaker emphasizes that community nursing plays a crucial role in keeping patients out of hospitals by identifying issues early, contributing to the overall healthcare system.

Q & A

Why did the speaker choose to become a community nurse?

The speaker chose to become a community nurse because they wanted to spend more time with their patients, plan their own day, and make a difference by helping people stay at home when they can. They enjoy the unpredictability and the holistic care approach.

What does the speaker mean by holistic care in nursing?

Holistic care involves looking beyond the medical aspects of care. The speaker examines the patient's overall situation, including how they're sleeping, eating, mobilizing, and whether they need spiritual or psychological support.

What types of patients does the speaker deal with as a community nurse?

The speaker cares for a wide range of patients, from 18 years old to the elderly. They provide any type of care that a nurse is required for, including advanced nursing skills like injections, nasogastric feeds, and leg ulcer care.

What does the speaker enjoy most about working as a community nurse?

The speaker enjoys the autonomy and the chance to develop a wide range of skills. They appreciate making decisions regarding patient care and treatment, and the variety and unpredictability of their day.

How does the speaker describe their relationship with their patients?

The speaker describes building strong, friendly relationships with patients, stating that it often feels like they are friends. Patients enjoy spending time with them, even when the treatments might be uncomfortable.

What are some challenges the speaker faces in their role?

The speaker acknowledges that the job comes with emotional challenges, particularly dealing with patients nearing the end of life. However, they balance these moments with lighter experiences, such as taking patients to exercise classes.

How does the speaker feel about advanced nursing skills in community nursing?

The speaker emphasizes that community nurses use a full range of advanced nursing skills, such as prescribing medications, performing assessments, and managing long-term conditions, contrary to the perception that these skills are only used in hospitals.

What support do community nurses offer to vulnerable populations?

Community nurses support vulnerable populations, including homeless individuals, sex workers, asylum seekers, and gypsies or travelers. They provide care in hospitals or on the street and help connect these individuals to further resources.

What was the impact of the memory box project discussed in the script?

The memory box project had a significant emotional impact on the speaker and the patient involved. It allowed the patient to create lasting memories for their 13-year-old son, highlighting that it's not only about giving to others but also about receiving comfort and connection.

What is the speaker's overall perception of community nursing?

The speaker finds community nursing to be incredibly rewarding, describing it as a 'lifeline' and expressing love for their job even after many years. They encourage others to consider it as a career, emphasizing the importance of primary care in keeping patients out of hospitals.

Outlines

00:00

👩‍⚕️ Passion for Community Nursing

The speaker shares their journey toward becoming a community nurse, driven by the desire to spend more time with patients and make a meaningful difference in their lives. They appreciate the flexibility of planning their own day and the unpredictability of the job, which includes providing care to patients from all age groups. Despite some challenging tasks, they enjoy connecting with patients on a deeper level, offering holistic care that goes beyond medical treatment.

05:01

🩺 Holistic Care in Nursing

Community nursing offers more learning opportunities than hospital settings, and the speaker emphasizes the wide range of skills used daily, from injections to advanced assessments. The importance of communication is highlighted, along with the psychological aspects of care. The speaker also touches on the emotional aspects of the job, like helping patients prepare for the future, such as creating memory boxes for loved ones. They express fulfillment from the holistic approach to nursing, caring for the 'whole person' rather than just their medical needs.

Keywords

💡Community Nurse

A community nurse works outside of a traditional hospital setting, often visiting patients in their homes. In the video, the speaker highlights the appeal of community nursing as it allows for more patient interaction, personalized care, and the ability to plan the day independently. The job involves a wide range of nursing skills, from providing medical care to offering emotional and psychological support.

💡Holistic Care

Holistic care refers to treating the whole person, not just their physical symptoms. It encompasses emotional, psychological, and even spiritual support. The speaker emphasizes this approach by explaining that they assess various aspects of a patient's life, including their living conditions and mental health, to offer comprehensive care that impacts overall well-being.

💡End-of-life Care

End-of-life care involves providing medical, emotional, and sometimes spiritual support to patients nearing the end of their life. This type of care is often emotionally challenging but vital. The speaker mentions this aspect when discussing their responsibilities in community nursing, indicating that it requires compassion and emotional resilience.

💡Autonomy

Autonomy in nursing refers to the ability to make independent decisions regarding patient care. In the script, the speaker values the autonomy that community nursing offers, where they can make daily decisions without being restricted by the structured environment of a hospital ward. This freedom allows them to provide more personalized and responsive care.

💡Advanced Nursing Skills

Advanced nursing skills include specialized medical procedures such as administering intravenous drugs, nasogastric feeding, and conducting advanced assessments. The video emphasizes that community nurses utilize these skills frequently, countering the misconception that they don't employ advanced techniques outside of a hospital setting.

💡Patient-Centered Care

Patient-centered care focuses on tailoring healthcare to the individual needs, preferences, and values of the patient. The speaker frequently mentions how they focus on each patient's unique situation, considering not only their medical needs but also their psychological and social circumstances. This concept aligns with the holistic care approach mentioned.

💡Primary Care

Primary care refers to the first point of contact in the healthcare system, focusing on overall patient wellness, prevention, and treatment of common health issues. Community nursing is a critical part of primary care, as explained in the video, because it helps reduce hospital admissions by addressing issues early and providing ongoing care for chronic conditions.

💡Memory Box

A memory box is a collection of items that holds sentimental value and helps preserve memories, often created for someone who is terminally ill. The speaker discusses a patient’s plan to create a memory box for their 13-year-old son, which serves as an emotional gesture in end-of-life care, emphasizing that holistic care includes psychological and emotional support.

💡Psychological Support

Psychological support involves addressing the mental and emotional well-being of patients. In the video, the speaker highlights that sometimes a patient’s psychological state is as important as their physical health, and they offer counseling and emotional support as part of their duties. This is a key component of holistic care.

💡Vulnerable Populations

Vulnerable populations refer to groups at greater risk of poor health outcomes, such as the homeless, asylum seekers, or sex workers. The speaker mentions that their work extends to caring for these populations, providing essential medical care and support to individuals who may not have regular access to healthcare services. This illustrates the broad and inclusive scope of community nursing.

Highlights

The speaker highlights the desire to spend more time with patients and not be limited to working on the same ward every day.

Community nursing allows the speaker to plan their day and have the flexibility to make a difference by helping people stay at home if they choose.

Community nurses handle patients ranging from 18 years old to the elderly, providing comprehensive care without knowing how their day will unfold.

Despite performing procedures that might be uncomfortable for patients, the speaker enjoys interacting with them and making them happy.

Community nurses look beyond medical tasks, also focusing on the patients' living conditions, diet, mobility, and emotional or spiritual needs.

The speaker reflects on the bond developed with long-term patients, mentioning that the interactions feel more like friendships.

The speaker is part of a program helping vulnerable populations such as the homeless, asylum seekers, and other marginalized groups, aiming to support them daily.

The speaker shares how they were encouraged to pursue nursing despite hesitations due to age and financial concerns, ultimately finding fulfillment in the career.

Community nursing offers a great deal of autonomy, with nurses making critical decisions regarding patient care and treatment.

The speaker highlights the emotional challenges of working with end-of-life patients but also mentions the rewarding and fun aspects of the job.

Working in the community has provided more learning opportunities and skill development for the speaker than their time in the hospital setting.

The speaker emphasizes the advanced nursing skills required in community care, challenging the misconception that community nurses don't use advanced skills.

The holistic care approach involves addressing the psychological and emotional aspects of patient care, not just the clinical needs.

A moving moment is shared where a patient reflects on creating a memory box for their 13-year-old son, adding an emotional depth to the discussion of patient care.

The speaker expresses passion for community nursing, stating that it allows for delivering holistic, compassionate care, which is the essence of nursing.

Transcripts

okay you can tell me when you want me to

stop my colleague said why'd you want to

be a community nurse I said well because

I want to be able to spend more time on

my patients I want to do a very job I

didn't want to be on a war the same ward

every day

I like planning my day the way I want

it's helping people it's making a

difference and making sure people that

want to stay at home are able to stay at

home we do see patients from 18 to the

grave and we do any kind of care that

requires a nurse and you can't really

look at what's on your piece of paper

and predict how your morning's going to

go which is probably why I quite like it

although I'm doing something which

probably isn't very nice

which might hurt or you know they still

enjoy sitting me and that's why I wanted

to be a nurse because I wanted to make

people happy crying with it

well you hear hello Bell there we go

head up bombing I don't want to just go

in and knock off someone's wound I'm

looking at where they're sleeping how

what they're eating how the mobilizing

providing them spiritual support if they

need counseling you know I'm seeing the

whole picture that could be affecting

their health care - start kicking don't

you kick me no I will throw out the

trouble when I let me lay whew - okay

all right don't worry about it I only

went to the gym yesterday

don't you surely be off name--but in

district nursing now Robert 23 years

ah wonderful love it absolutely amazing

well to me it's been a lifeline it

breaks your days I have someone come in

that door especially when you're very

poorly surely your tummy's misbehaving

again say to me we're like friends now

oh wait we are so she torments me and

vice versa

[Music]

we in reach into both hospitals to

vulnerable adults so anyone who is

Street homeless sex working asylum

seeking and more recently gypsies and

travellers so we have a bed for you at

the Crypt and we'll catch up with you in

the morning and we aim to come every day

if we can and touch base with you and

see what we can do to support you that's

our primary contacts as when people are

admitted to hospital but that doesn't

mean we won't stop and talk to people or

peewee you know here we see what am i

walking across the city it's getting

cold now that you know there's a

homeless practice down the road you know

but I think everybody is somebody's

somebody everybody is significant to

somebody you know their purse and people

you know people deserve to have a chance

and yeah and I feel I feel privileged to

be able to do that

I met nurse who said why don't you why

don't you do nurse training I thought

you know it's all women and I'm not

young anymore and also I can't afford to

do it cuz I have to be a student for

three years well for each one of those

she said well it's not true and you'd be

good at it so I did it and Here I am now

I've just finished my training and I'm

just starting my new jobs in my first

week it's a great job but it does come

with it so here we on it with a lot of

responsibilities working autonomously so

you are everyday making decisions

regarding patient care and treatment yes

there are parts of the job that are

tough quite emotionally because we are

dealing with patients towards their it's

wards end-of-life as well but we have

fun days like today we go to an exercise

class and it's not all doom and gloom

[Music]

right at the top end of your heart rate

target which is fantastic yeah but

working in the communities being a great

move for me fantastic it's like I say

it's opened up so many more learning

opportunities I've not only developed

more since I've come to the community

than I ever did in the hospital I've got

a lot more Skills than I ever did it's

completely changed my perception of

district a cinema that just nurses

they'll come and sort you out with

whatever problem you've got they've got

the answer often the perception of

people working in a hospital is if they

move into the community we don't use

advanced nursing skill but we use every

every range of nursing skills that you

can imagine the most important one is

communication

but everything else so injections

nasogastric feeds intravenous drugs

assessments advanced assessment skills

prescribing leg also care long-term

conditions care it's a place to learn

it's a really good place to learn make

sure that it doesn't catch on the other

bone but this other tip of your finger

just use it to around ya

so sometimes the nursing aspect is not

what is worrying the patient it's a

psychological aspect so when we do

holistic care we're taking in

consideration the whole person okay find

me - clay yeah you know you can talk to

me

go on fire away oh yes your mouths going

yes Marcia talk to me about memory boxes

it's just something I need to do because

we have a 13 year old son

so I'm unlikely to be here for his 14th

birthday so we're talking about how what

we can put into that and how to do that

so it's not just clinical not just

medical the most salient point that's

stuck in my mind from that conversation

yesterday was that she said remember a

memory box is not just about you giving

to others it's about for you receiving

from others

which took me to a nicer place and

that's district nursing

I wouldn't want to do anything else

possibly I'm get up in the morning and

I'm ready for work I think it's a grand

job and there are lots of different

community nursing jobs out there whether

you want to specialize or not I would

never discourage anybody from working in

the community and that we keep a lot of

people out of hospital because we pick

up on things and quicker because we know

patients say well I love my job

if it's any job quite like nurse and in

the world I've been doing this 35 years

I still love coming to work but I do I

do and if you're like me and you want to

spend more time with patients and do

what we're trained to do which is

deliver holistic compassionate care then

community Nursing is by far the job for

you it's like an advert what do you

think of the district nurses when they

come in look they are lovely aren't they

absolutely brilliant it's not having

another friend so it helped me a lot

actually they are lovely there need to

be more district nurses that you know we

need more so if you look at the Health

Service this is called primary care we

can't manage without hospitals but

absolutely you can't manage without

distributism

[Music]

you