April Santoro, Enrolled Nurse here at St John of God Murdoch Community Hospice, knew from her very first shift that she had found her place.
“From my first buddy shift, everyone was so lovely and helpful. That helped me feel confident and welcomed here,” April said.
April has always loved assisting others which is why she was drawn to nursing. After working in aged care, April qualified as a nurse and started working in the palliative care unit.
When April tells people what she does, they can sometimes struggle to understand why April finds palliative care nursing so rewarding. April tells them what she does.
“I love it here, I feel it is where I am supposed to be,” April said.
“People think patients just come to us to die. They can’t understand how it could possibly be rewarding. What they don’t get, is that palliative care has many stages,” she said.
Compassion is fundamental, and making sure patients are comfortable through symptom control is an important part of palliative care.
“When we make our patients comfortable, it helps them and their family settle. The thanks you get is so worthwhile.”
When asked what aspect of her job she enjoyed the most, April said it was the little things which make a huge difference to her patients.
“Washing their hair, or giving them a shave, or doing their makeup. Even helping my patients go outside. It is a joy for them; they feel happy and carefree. Those are the things that make this the most rewarding job.”
April has tried careers is hospitality, marketing, and sales, but has always found her way back to Nursing.
“I can’t really see myself doing anything else.”
There are nearly 60 caregivers and a number of volunteers who work in palliative care at the Murdoch Community Hospice.
This palliative care week, we are celebrating them and all the amazing care they provide to patients and families during a difficult time in their lives.
To find out more about the amazing work our palliative caregiver provide, visit the St John of God Murdoch Community Hospice website.
