This International Nurses Day, meet Hannah, one of our wonderful nurses who shares how Helen & Douglas House shaped her career and continues to inspire her every day.
Starting out: a student nurse with a passion for care
“My journey at Helen & Douglas House started when I was a student nurse in my second year in training. I was welcomed by a warm and kind team who were eager to teach. My mum even started volunteering here on the care team after hearing about how amazing it was.”
After qualifying and spending a year working in a hospital, Hannah found herself longing for the kind of care that originally inspired her to become a nurse.
“I was ready to get back to the type of nursing I had always envisioned. Helen & Douglas House always felt like the type of nursing I wanted to do – where you get to know the child and the families so you can provide the best individualised and family-centred care. I remember writing in my university application about how special and priceless a child’s smile is. That was one of the reasons I wanted to go into children’s nursing. At Helen & Douglas House, every day is about smiles and heartfelt memories that last a lifetime.”
Career progression: growing from a Band 5 to Band 6 Nurse
Hannah’s time at Helen & Douglas House has been marked by personal and professional growth.
“Having now been here for over two years as a Band 5 nurse, I’ve been supported to make the step up to Band 6, a role I’m about to embark on with the confidence and skills I’ve gained since being here. I’ve learnt so many valuable skills, including practical nursing such as end-of-life care, and how to communicate with children and their families in some of the most difficult moments.”
No ordinary days: creating joy while meeting complex needs
Each day at Helen & Douglas House brings something new. The care we provide is so important, and the joy we create is equally as important too.
“Some days involve arts and crafts, playing on the roundabout, or dressing up for World Book Day – I was Little Miss Sunshine! But in-between the joy and laughter, we’re also managing complex medical needs like seizures, always with compassion and care. What makes Helen & Douglas House different is that everything centres around the children and their families. In a hospital, nursing can be very task-focused. Here, we get to really know the families and build strong, supportive relationships.”
“When I’m not the nurse in charge, I provide one-to-one care. We create a personalised care plan that covers everything from pain management to their favourite song or preferred bath time. These little things help children feel safe and cared for. We also work night shifts and are on call 24/7 – always ready to support families and ensure the highest quality care throughout the night.”
“I’ve dressed up as a princess to play hide and seek in the garden, helped a child with cancer write a letter to the tooth fairy after losing her first tooth, and taken a child to the local fish shop. She had been in pain that morning, but the smile on her face afterwards said everything.”
“As a hospice nurse, we support children and their families at the end of their lives, providing comfort and dignity. Even in these moments, we try to make memories – wheeling a child into the sunshine or creating fingerprint paintings. In hospital settings, you’re trained to fix things. In a hospice, you learn that you can’t always fix the problem but you can help families through the hardest moments. That’s a privilege.”
Eddie’s story
Hannah talks about Eddie, a child who comes to Helen & Douglas House for respite and symptom management stays.
“Eddie started coming to Helen & Douglas House in 2024. We help him with seizure management but also support his family to spend meaningful time together. A special memory I have with Eddie is dressing up for World Book Day. Eddie came as the Gruffalo and there was so much joy around the hospice that day. He loves the waterbed in the sensory room and swimming in the therapeutic pool. It’s so lovely to see him enjoying those moments.”
Eddie’s dad said:
“It is not an exaggeration to say that Helen & Douglas House have been lifesavers in an incredibly challenging time for us as a family. They have provided a consistently high level of care for our son, Eddie, from the very first time they met him at just a few months old. It is clear just how much everyone at Helen & Douglas House enjoys looking after Eddie, and he is always comfortable and settled in their care. We have called the nurses at Helen & Douglas House at all hours of the day and night to ask questions about Eddie’s condition, medication, and to ask advice when things have been tough. Every single time we have called, we have been greeted warmly and given good, helpful advice.
Eddie has a very complex and life-limiting medical condition; it is no small thing for us to entrust his care to other people. We respect, trust and value the team at Helen & Douglas House – honestly, I don’t know how we would have managed as a family without their help. The expression ‘thank you’ is inadequate in this instance, but I’ll say it anyway. Thank you. We appreciate the people at Helen & Douglas House more than words can say.”
Thank you
Hannah’s journey is a powerful reminder of what nursing can be when it’s rooted in connection, compassion and a team that inspires you to grow in your career.
We are so lucky to have such dedicated and compassionate nurses at Helen & Douglas House. Thank you for all that you do.