Meet Millesent: Our Palliative Care Nurse
Millesent Marizani is part of our new Rennie Grove Peace Overnight Hospice at Home Team that provides overnight care for patients with life-limiting illnesses in SW Hertfordshire. She shares her story.
“I start my shift at 9.15pm with a handover from the Hospice at Home Day Team. We go through the notes of patients they we are concerned about, who might need a night visit. If someone has called just before the shift starts, I might need to go straight to a patient’s home.
“We may also get a new referral during the night for a patient with a life-limiting illness, who is new to us. In this instance, we gather as much information as possible to understand the patient’s circumstances and needs before we visit.
“I mainly provide care in people’s homes, but I do have occasional visits at residential homes or care homes. My patients have a wide variety of conditions such as cancer, heart failure, liver disease and motor neurone disease. Occasionally we will also get a referral for someone with a learning disability.
Supporting patients and their families
“When a patient or their family member calls, we get to them as soon as possible. We manage a patient’s pain, and other symptoms such as nausea and agitation. The medication we give helps the patient to settle and have a calmer night, which in turn also helps the family member or whoever is caring for them, to get some rest.
“As a palliative nurse, I work closely with our patients’ GP, District Nurse, or specialist nurse so we can continue supporting people in their own home, if that is their wish. We can also refer the patient or their family to our other services at Rennie Grove Peace such as bereavement support or counselling.
“A big part my role is to also provide reassurance for the family and can chat to them about what is happening to their loved one. The other night I sat with a patient’s wife who had just died, and we held hands. They had been married for 50 years and she talked to me about his life. It was nice to have the time to sit with her and not have to rush off or instantly do the paperwork. That’s the part of my job that I really like, being able to provide the emotional care for patients with life-limiting illnesses, as well as the clinical care.
“I was also able to chat to her about what needed to happen now her husband had died, such as calling the funeral directors to organise for her husband to be taken to the funeral home and getting the death certificate signed. This can feel overwhelming, so I could support her and answer her questions.
The rewarding work of a palliative nurse
“I love being a palliative nurse and find it hugely rewarding. Before I joined Rennie Grove Peace, I worked in an acute hospital setting, where we were always under pressure and there was no time to have even a 5-minute chat with a patient who was worried and lonely. Some hospital patients don’t have any visitors and sometimes they just wanted some time to chat or a cup of tea before bed, but as a ward nurse in acute care I just couldn’t provide this.
“I’ve always been a night owl. When my kids were younger, I worked nights due to childcare, and it suited me a lot better.
I finish my shift at 7.15am, and then go for a swim or a walk. If I’m very tired, I go straight to bed or have breakfast with my daughter before bed beckons.”
