\n Shannon Duddy, community palliative care nurse at Ardgowan Hospice, began her nurse training by studying Social Care at college straight out of school.\n<\/p>\n
\n That led Shannon to work supporting young adults with learning difficulties and epilepsy. It was a role that taught her patience, empathy, and the power of communication.\n<\/p>\n
\n (Image: Contributed)\n<\/p>\n
\n She said: \u201cLater, I moved into nursing homes, supporting older adults with complex needs. That\u2019s where I started to feel a drive to develop my skills and do more.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cIn 2016, I made the leap and began my nursing training while working as a healthcare assistant\u00a0in hospitals and the community.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cEven as a child, I\u00a0wanted to be a nurse.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cI used to walk around with my mum\u2019s stethoscope pretending to check everyone\u2019s heart.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cFor me, nursing was never just a career, it was a calling, and one I feel incredibly privileged to follow.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n After qualifying in 2019, Shannon cared for patients from diverse backgrounds, many of whom were nearing the end of their lives and often had no family by their side.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\n It was in those quiet, difficult moments that Shannon discovered her passion for palliative and end-of-life care.\n<\/p>\n
\n (Image: Contributed)\n<\/p>\n
\n With this new passion blooming, Shannon returned to working in general medicine with a focus on cardiology for the next five years, to develop her core nursing skills.\n<\/p>\n
\n She told the Tele: \u201cThe best part of nursing, for me, has always been the connection you build with your patients.\n<\/p>\n
\n “Getting to know who they are, understanding what matters most to them, and tailoring their care around their individuality.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cThat\u2019s what makes the job so special.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cMy years of experience led me to where I am now, working at Ardgowan Hospice. From the moment I arrived, I knew it was where I was meant to be.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cArdgowan has helped me build a personalised development plan, and I\u2019ve felt truly invested in, every step of the way.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Earlier this year, Shannon was presented with the opportunity to join the hospice\u2019s community team as a clinical nurse specialist and states that it has opened the door for her to develop further within palliative care.\n<\/p>\n
\n The hospice nurse goes on to explain that her roles have changed quite a bit since moving from a staff nurse position in the inpatient unit to working as a clinical nurse specialist in the community.\n<\/p>\n
\n In the inpatient unit, Shannon was part of a team delivering high-quality, hands-on care to patients with life-limiting conditions who required symptom management or were approaching the end of life, all within a fully supported environment.\n<\/p>\n
\n Now, in the community, she works more independently, supporting patients and families in their own homes.\n<\/p>\n
\n The role involves more planning, problem-solving, and learning how to communicate with a wide range of people while working with local multidisciplinary teams.\n<\/p>\n
\n Shannon says one of the greatest joys of working in the community is being welcomed into people\u2019s homes and lives.\n<\/p>\n
\n She said that patients\u2019 personal spaces are filled with photos, memories, and stories, and the nurses recognise and value the privilege it is becoming part of their inner circle.\n<\/p>\n
\n For many who don\u2019t have family nearby, an Ardgowan Hospice community nurse may be the only person providing that support.\n<\/p>\n
\n She added: \u201cIt often reminds me of my time working on wards during COVID, when we became like a \u2018nursing family\u2019 to patients.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cI strive to do everything I can to help people celebrate life in the way that\u2019s best for them, bringing comfort, dignity, and joy to each moment we share.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cDuring my time at Ardgowan Hospice, I found myself reflecting on everything this profession has given me\u2014and everything we, as nurses, give to others.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe walk, sit and laugh beside people during their most vulnerable and significant moments. We listen, support, advocate, and care. It\u2019s not always easy, but it\u2019s a privilege I\u2019ll never take for granted.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Shannon has shared her story with the Tele as the country marks hospice care week, and ahead of the hospice\u2019s \u2018go purple\u2019 day on Friday, which seeks to raise awareness about the charity\u2019s vital services.\n<\/p>\n
\n To find out more about \u2018go purple\u2019 day, visit the hospice\u2019s website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Shannon Duddy, community palliative care nurse at Ardgowan Hospice, began her nurse training by studying Social Care at…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":195827,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[102,2960,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-195826","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthcare","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-healthcare","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=195826"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195826\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/195827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=195826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=195826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=195826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}