“It feels like the right job”: Meet Thevuni

Starting a nursing career can feel overwhelming. Starting a nursing career is a significant milestone. Beginning that journey in children’s palliative care may feel unfamiliar at first but for Thevuni, who joined Helen & Douglas House six months ago as a newly qualified Band 5 nurse, the experience has been memorable and meaningful. 

“I applied for the job, and at the time I thought, I’m just going to take it, and if I don’t like it, I don’t have to stay. And I’ve absolutely loved it.” 

Just six months into her first role, Thevuni speaks with warmth about her work, the families she supports and how different hospice care feels compared to hospital nursing. 

A different world behind the red doors

From the moment she started, Thevuni felt that Helen & Douglas House was unlike anywhere she had worked before. 

“You walk through the red doors and it’s a little world that’s functioning on its own. Everybody in here understands in a way that I think it’s quite hard to explain to people outside the doors.”

That sense of shared understanding creates an environment that feels calmer and more connected, where you really get to know the children you are looking after.  

From hospital nursing to hospice care

Before joining Helen & Douglas House, Thevuni trained and worked in hospital settings, where you might be looking after more than one child at a time.  At Helen & Douglas House, where care is delivered one to one, she noticed the difference immediately. 

“Working as a Helen & Douglas House nurse, you get the luxury of time – I can spend the time giving that child a bath, or doing their hair how they like it. When you’re in that moment with that child you can go at the pace that’s right for the child on that day. You can sit and talk and have a meal around the table with the families and children which is really important and there is a lot of research out there to say about eating together and how that really supports people.” 

Instead of being stretched across multiple patients, Thevuni can focus fully on one child, taking time to understand not just their medical needs, but who they are as a person. 

“You get to know them so completely… little things like when a child likes being hoisted and having their legs held or when they only like their head turned one way and not the other. It’s the little things like that.” 

Rethinking children’s palliative care

Like many people, Thevuni wasn’t sure what to expect from palliative care before starting her role.  

“I remember when I spoke to people about working in children’s palliative care and everyone would say ‘oh my goodness how sad’ and before I came here, I thought  ‘oh am I doing something really crazy?’” 

But, those assumptions quickly changed. 

“Yes it’s sad, but it is amazing. It really is an amazing job. It’s a privilege that you get to do what you do and support the families the way you do. One day you could be running behind a child all day in the garden or cleaning up paint, the next day you could be looking after a child at end of life or supporting a child with pain management. No day is the same.” 

For Thevuni, the role is not just about managing symptoms, it’s about being present, building trust, and making moments meaningful. 

Supporting families as well as children

One of the biggest differences between hospital care and hospice care is how families are supported alongside their child. Supportive stays can make an enormous difference.  

“Amongst all the sadness, it’s a happy place and you can make it a happy place. Whether it’s looking after a child that comes in for supportive stays or looking after a child at end of life, you get to make those little moments that are precious for the families. I had a family recently say to me ‘gosh this is a lifeline for me’. Just those three nights have now set them up to keep going.” 

Those short breaks give parents time to rest, reset, and return to being mum or dad rather than carer. 

When the smallest things matter most

At Helen & Douglas House we make moments that matter.  

“If we can make it happen, we make it happen. Whether that’s Christmas in the middle of summer, children’s dogs from home coming in to say goodbye, a jacuzzi outside in the middle of winter or sleeping under the stars in a big igloo. We help make moments matter.” 

While big moments stand out, it’s often the quiet, personal care that makes the deepest impact. 

“I once cared for a little girl who had the most beautiful long hair, but after so many hospital stays, it needed extra attention. Over several days, myself and the care team built up her trust, eventually allowing for her hair to be washed and plaited.” 

For Thevuni, experiences like this changed how she understood nursing. The ability to give that level of personal, unhurried care beyond the purely medical is something she values deeply, and something Helen & Douglas House makes possible. 

Looking forward

Six months into her nursing career, Thevuni is certain she’s found the right place. 

“It feels like it is for me. It feels like the right job.”