Donate to our night nurses

Hi I'm Annette. I am an Associate Nurse Practitioner in the Community Team and Mountbatten. I have worked at Mountbatten for three years and I love my job. 

It may sound like a cliché but end of life care is a privilege. It is a very intimate part of someone's life and they are welcoming you in and trusting you to support them when they are most vulnerable.

Most people don't like to think about it as it's a source of anxiety. People will often ask 'what's going to happen' and 'what about my loved ones'. Being a Mountbatten nurse is having and being part of those conversations. 

People will often presume my job is sad, and at times it is, there is no getting around that. But it is also very happy. There is a lot more laughter than people think and nursing someone through their last days, weeks, months or years is very fulfilling. 

Being a nurse for Mountbatten means I am able to provide the same level of care to everyone, regardless of their background. Whether you are from an affluent area or you are homeless, we still provide the same level of care for you.

I have cared for a chap who was homeless, who, in his words, viewed us as the 'death squad'. He allowed me to come to joint visits with the mental health team but wouldn't give more than yes and no answers to any of my questions. One day I visited alone, and after our usual routine, he asked me to stay for a chat. I was there for 40 minutes, learning about how he grew up and discovering we had quite a few drinking spots in common. After this visit we had a really good relationship and it felt as though he had really accepted Mountbatten's support. 

Nurses like me in the Community Team are there 24/7 providing specialist care to those who need us most. 

Click here to follow me on a night shift