My first year began with the familiar proficiencies in recording blood pressure, temperature, and making the hospital corners. We ventured onto wards in little groups to make the beds and get used to interacting with patients. Our training followed the traditional pattern of the time, with blocks of school between allocations to the wards. We spent time on anatomy and physiology as well as the importance of assessing patients.
Wide reading was encouraged and there was increasing information about hospices and how we could make care of the dying better. The work of Cicely Saunders was gaining attention for its focus on the individual patient and the ways we could improve the end of their life. With this in mind my first ward was surprisingly influential.
The ward was led by Ali the Charge Nurse, and supported by Gail the Junior Sister. It was the male Urology ward of 15 beds. Two side rooms each had a patient who was getting closer to dying. The importance of regular analgesia was understood so we used what we had available.This was injections of Diamorphine, an oral alternative was the Brompton cocktail. We were tasked with regularly caring for these men, I was struck by the dignity and effort we were expected to make for their comfort. When the first of them died I was taken through the delivery of last offices. My experience helped me decide that the burgeoning field of hospice and palliative care would be the place to work.
By [1], Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22611723
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