In my role as Head of Nursing, I get the privilege of hearing lots of stories from nurses and midwives on the frontline. Many of these stories are tough and challenging. Just this week, I heard from a few newly qualified nurses how they battle stress and anxiety before going onto a shift. One even wrote to me of her panic attacks before leaving the house for work. Still, the experience is compounded by low staff numbers and consequently, an increasingly unsafe working environment.
Thankfully, I also get to hear 'good news' stories about the precious times that make the hard work and the stress all worthwhile for these amazing nurses and midwives.
For your encouragement, I'd like to share one or two in the upcoming CMF News editions. This first one is about prayer and the privilege of being with patients at pivotal moments in their lives: A palliative care nurse emailed me a fortnight ago about something that had happened that day. She writes 'I had cared for an elderly man, highly educated who had terminal cancer. He who was keen to tell me all he had achieved and which I sensed he felt valued and identified by. He was distressed he could no longer do all he did, such as organising community projects and liaising with MPs. He mentioned faith, and he said although his wife had a strong faith, he had lapsed. We talked, and I offered to pray, after which he begged me for a copy of whatever book I'd got the prayer from. I said it was from my heart for him and that God hears us just as we speak. No fancy language needed, and he can talk in prayer. We talked more about prayer and God not needing our deeds to pay our way and that when I left the room, he can close his eyes and say whatever he wants to God. He will be heard. I didn't get to speak with him again as he died soon after. I trust he found the peace he was looking for.'
Please email me (pippa@cmf.org.uk) more of your stories so we can share them for mutual encouragement! Pippa Peppiatt, Head of Nursing