“My passion for palliative care and having the autonomy to be able to deliver the highest quality care”

“It's been a bit of a whirlwind. I joined the hospice as a Registered Nurse five years ago and here I am today as a Ward Manager. I have had so many opportunities during my time at Sue Ryder, said Sophie.

“Highlights for me include representing the charity at the Queen’s funeral, plus sitting on the BBC Breakfast sofa shining a light on the critical recruitment need for palliative care nurses. I never thought I would ever be doing anything like that – I am always being pushed out of my comfort zone.

“I have worked on so many pioneering projects too. I led the implementation of the palliative paramedic pilot which brought new and unique skills to our team.

"I was also involved in the rollout of medically light beds here at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, helping more people access our hospice care and achieve their preferred place of death.”

International Nurses' Day is celebrated around the world every 12 May, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth. Sophie hopes that by sharing her Sue Ryder career highlights so far, she can showcase the incredible job nurses like her and the whole team at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice do supporting families through the most difficult times of their lives.

“My passion for palliative care and having the autonomy to make the best decisions to be able to deliver the highest quality care possible is one of the things that keeps me coming to work each day. The team too is brilliant and has certainly been another huge highlight of my five years here.

“A hospice is so different from what people expect. It’s not a depressing place where people just come to die, we look at ways to improve things for the people we’re caring for to make sure they can live the best lives they possibly can.

“It’s an honour to be part of people’s palliative care journey. It’s full of happiness and smiles and making memories and they are the things that families never forget, and being there for our families is just as important as the care we provide to our patients too," she says.

For anyone thinking about a career in palliative care, Sophie says that Sue Ryder is the place to be.

“Sue Ryder is committed to supporting the well-being of its staff I think that’s one of the things that makes it stand out as an amazing place to work. I feel valued and Sue Ryder is always looking for ways to reward and recognise everything we do to support patients and their families.

“I would encourage all nurses out there to think about a career in palliative care, to take a risk at something that might very much feel like the unknown. I did this and it’s certainly paid off for me."

For more information on nursing careers at Sue Ryder visit sueryder.org/jobs/

For more information on Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice visit sueryder.org/thorpehall