St Ann’s Hospice nurse says working Christmas Day is one of the highlights of the year
Ward Sister, Suzanne Vale will be working Christmas Day this year
Serving patients Christmas dinner with loved ones, presenting them with presents, and creating a festive atmosphere make working Christmas Day one of the highlights of the year according to Ward Sister Suzanne Vale.
The day can also be tough, however, when you have a family at home, especially as a single mum.
As a Ward Sister at St Ann’s Hospice, Suzanne will be working Christmas Day this year.
“When you work Christmas Day, you feel like you are doing something good. The lead-up to Christmas in the hospice is great. I look forward to the Light up a Life services that the hospice runs in the Manchester Cathedral in memory of loved ones, and it just feels like it’s not a bad thing to work Christmas,” Suzanne said.
We try to make the best of it for our patients. I don’t know what the plan is this year as it changes but usually, we ask if any of the relatives would like Christmas dinner with their loved one. It’s usually one relative because the kitchen can’t produce a Christmas dinner for everyone. Suzanne Vale, Ward Sister
“We also try to get the patient and relative to sit in a different part of the hospice if they are able, to make it more of an occasion rather than them sitting at their bed. We also always make sure the patient has got a present to open from us,” she added.
Although Suzanne enjoys being there for the patients and their relatives in St Ann’s on Christmas Day, it also comes with its own set of challenges.
“The negative side of it is that I am not with my kids. I’m here on the wards for 11 and a half hours. I’ve got a 13-year-old who is quite irritated by the fact that I’m not going to be there. As a single mum, that’s quite hard,” she said.
“So feeling like you are missing out on your time with your family is negative.”
“We also had a particularly challenging time the last Christmas I worked. It can be challenging when a patient passes away,” she added.
According to Suzanne, what helps make working Christmas Day a unique experience is the way the staff support each other on the day.
“We all bring in little presents. We do Secret Santa and exchange them and try and make it a joyous occasion. We bring in food to share, and we cook it up if there is time. We’ll also bring in snacks and party food and try and make it as enjoyable as we can,” Suzanne said.
“You still got to get the work done though but we will try and sit down if we can in between jobs,” she added.
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