Anna came to Bluebell Wood in January 2023 and since then has gone onwards and upwards. 

Moving from Sheffield Children’s Hospital to become a Team Leader, Anna progressed into her current position of Clinical Nurse Specialist within the Symptom Management Team in November 2023.

For Anna, the friendly environment of the hospice is one of the things she appreciates most about Bluebell Wood.

“I’ve really had the chance to bond with the team and can build good relationships with the families in our care. The working environment isn’t rushed, I get a lot of quality time with the families, and I’ve really got to know them.

“I have found working at Bluebell Wood, I get to ensure I have provided family-centred care, making sure all their holistic needs are met and helping make special memories for them. So many families see Bluebell Wood as a home from home and this is so special to be a part of.

“There are lots of wonderful moments throughout the day. The team all get to sit and have food with the families and it’s nice to have that time together. It really enhances a family-centred approach and makes the family feel just as included as their child.

Anna says the relaxed environment benefits the families as well, enhancing their care and overall experience.

“It means we can support people emotionally as well as medically. The teams all know each other really well and work closely together. If you’re caring for a family at the hospice and you identify a need, you can easily go to another team within the hospice and speak to them immediately for referral. It’s a great way to work.”  

Working at Bluebell Wood, Anna also gets the chance to be part of the events that take place at the hospice throughout the year.

“I took part in Remembering Day, which is a really important annual event at the hospice for bereaved families. There was a band of staff members performing and I played the egg shaker! I really like the opportunity to be involved in some of the activities we provide for families. Even if I’m not directly involved in the planning, I still get to come and take part and enjoy them. As staff, there is always the chance to be involved in planning too.”

Anna has also taken advantage of all the opportunities available and has just started her Non-Medical Prescribing course and her Enhanced Paediatric Nurses Skills course.

“Career progression for me has been great here. I became a Team Leader when I arrived and then went onto being a Clinical Nurse Specialist and doing the courses I’m currently doing. The support for my professional development is really rewarding.”

Anna has found other opportunities to make a difference at the hospice, using her knowledge and commitment to grow the network of potential families Bluebell Wood can support. 

“It can be challenging tackling people’s preconceptions of children’s hospices. Coming here can be a daunting experience and I am trying to change that and give people a better understanding of the services we offer.

“I have spent time working closely with wards at Sheffield Children’s hospital, trying to make our involvement on the ward more normal and less daunting to families. That way people are more aware of us and we can quickly refer them in if needed. It might be that a family meets our criteria and could benefit from our services, such as support for brothers and sisters. We offer a lot of different services for families and my goal is to let people know that Bluebell Wood is there to support them and it’s not a scary place.”

**Bluebell Wood is looking for more nurses to join the team. If you’re passionate about supporting babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions or want to know more about what it’s like working in our amazing care team, visit our job vacancies page.