Lisa Wardlow - Ward Sister/Clinical Facilitator

The Hospice's Lisa Wardlow recently featured in the Reporter & Chronicle's "Job Focus - Me and My Job" section, describing her work at Willow Wood - the interview is repeated below:

Who are you?

Lisa Wardlow, Ward Sister and Clinical Facilitator at Willow Wood Hospice

Describe your job and main responsibilities?

As I have two job roles I have quite a few responsibilities. As Ward Sister I manage 27 staff, which include qualified nurses and support workers. I work with patients who have life-threatening illnesses and offer support to their families.

The role of Clinical Facilitator is a new role for the Hospice and myself. The role has involved developing and implementing the Liverpool Care Pathway for the last days of life. The specialist Palliative Care team based at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital developed the Pathway, along with the Marie Curie Centre. The Pathway means we can ensure high quality care for patients and their families, and we can prove our high standards in end-of-life care.

My role also involves the teaching and educating of staff, as well as auditing, to improve the quality of care for our patients in Tameside. I also liaise with the Greater Manchester Cancer Network, where we share ideas, problems and positive thoughts about the Pathway, as it is a new way of working and we are all constantly learning.

What services do you offer?

On the ward, we offer symptom management and pain control for patients. Most patients come in for a two-week assessment period where some may be given suitable symptom management, and may be able to leave to spend quality time with family and friends.

What qualifications/skills do you need or are an advantage?

When I embarked on my training, the minimum entry level for nursing training was five GCSEs at "C" grade or above. Nursing training has come a long way over the years, and now you can enter at Diploma level after GCSEs, then go on to Degree level at university.

How did you come into this line of work and how long have you done it for?

I started my three-year RGN training in September 1998 and became a young staff nurse on a surgical ward. Many of the patients had a cancer diagnosis and I became increasingly interested and wanted to learn more. I then completed a qualification in "Continuing Care for Dying Patients and their Families". I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to learn even more. After that I began working at St. Anne's Hospice where I completed a Diploma in Cancer Care.

When Willow Wood Hospice opened I began work here from day one, and since I've been here I have completed a BSc degree in Palliative Care. So to get to were I am today I have put in lots of hard work, but it has been worth it.

Describe a typical day?

In my job, a typical day doesn't exist! I could on be an early or late shift, on the ward or in the office. In a week I usually work three day on the ward and two in the office - however the ward always comes first and this can change due to staff shortages for example.

On the ward it is always interesting and there is always something new happening. A normal day would also include checking all important jobs to be done and informing GPs, nurses and Macmillan nurses about their patients' conditions. On the office side, I check all incoming emails and attend Integrated Care Pathway meetings.

I'm always here for team support, and to give any advice I can regarding the Pathway, as it is a new document to us and we are always learning. Within the Pathway I also complete the Patient Audit, which evaluates the care we are providing.

What is the best/worst thing about your job?

The best thing is job satisfaction, which is achieved when I feel I have effectively managed a patient's symptoms. When a patient has a dignified death and the family have been well supported, I feel I have done a good day's work and it is very rewarding.

Because we are very caring people at the Hospice, we become involved with the families who come in and it can get upsetting, though in such situations we turn it around and support each other as a team.

Do you have any advice for people entering your profession?

Someone who is considering working in Palliative Care should be very caring and compassionate. Apart from that the best advice would be to work hard to get an education, so you can provide the best care possible. There is scope within Palliative Care to work not just in the hospice environment, but in hospitals and the community. The Pathway enables us to ensure a high level of care throughout.

Reproduced by kind permission of the Tameside Reporter & Glossop Chronicle