“The best decision I ever made” — Macmillan Nurse shares her story on International Nurses’ Day 2021
Karen Hayes is a Macmillan Skin Cancer Nurse Specialist working within Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, one of 120 Macmillan nurses providing cancer care to people across Northern Ireland. International Nurses’ Day is celebrated across the world on Florence Nightingale’s birthday (12 May) and is an important opportunity to shine a light on the critical role of nursing, particularly in the context of the global pandemic.
Karen’s course into a career in nursing wasn’t straightforward: “I didn’t take the easiest route!”, says Karen. “I became a nurse a little later in life — I was 34 when I returned to education having had that moment of realisation that I needed a career change. I’d worked in administration roles over the years, but I wanted to do something more me, more fulfilling, so when my first child was just 6 months old I went back to college.
“I got my GCSEs, did a nursing access course, and when my two children were 6 months and 4 years old, I started Queen’s University with the support of a very considerate husband! I look back now and wonder how on earth I did it, but it just shows you that when you have a passion for something, you won’t stop until you get there. It’s the best decision I ever made.”
Karen has been working in dermatology for 10 years, and been a Macmillan nurse for two and a half of those years, helping people to understand their diagnosis and treatment options and supporting them through their cancer experience. She works with outpatients across the City Hospital and Royal Victoria Hospital sites and is passionate about encouraging people to talk about skin cancer more openly, and increasing awareness of the need for sun protection in all climates.
“I absolutely love my job. Although the last year has been incredibly tough and stressful for nurses everywhere, it has also brought many rewarding, emotional moments. There has been upheaval of some kind for health care professionals everywhere — although I haven’t been redeployed, I usually work out of the Tower at the City Hospital and moved location while it became a Nightingale facility. Not seeing patients face-to-face has been one of the biggest changes and as a result, I’ve carried out a lot of telephone reviews. There is no doubt that the pandemic has increased people’s sense of isolation and loneliness, so when a patient has a call scheduled with me, they have tended to be more talkative and open. It has also been a little easier for older people, or those who live further away, to access support by phone. Often I hear the words ‘you’ve made my day’ which in turn makes mine.”
Janice Preston, Head of Partnerships for Macmillan in NI says, “The last year has been an acutely challenging time for people living with cancer, the health service and cancer care. The pandemic has highlighted why it’s vital that our workforce is supported with longterm funding and resources to deliver to the best possible care to people when they need it most. Macmillan nurses are part of incredible teams within our NI health service who have been doing everything possible to keep cancer care on track in the most difficult circumstances. On International Nurses Day, it’s important to pause, reflect and say thank you to nurses everywhere like Karen for all they have done and continue to do.”
Karen adds, “I only wish that I had started my career earlier. It is an absolute privilege to support people through a difficult period in their lives. Yes, the pandemic has been one of the most difficult times I’ve experienced in nursing, and we will all feel its impact for a long time to come. However, in the 10 years that I have been a nurse, I have seen so much progress in cancer care. There are many opportunities to learn and develop, both personally and professionally, and to travel, teach and mentor. What would I say to someone thinking about choosing nursing after the year we’ve experienced? I’d say that every day I wake up knowing that I’m doing something I love, making a difference and working with wonderful people who feel exactly the same. What is more rewarding than that?”
To find out about Macmillan services in Northern Ireland, visit macmillan.org.uk. Anyone in need of information, advice or support about cancer can call the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00 (8am-8pm, 7 days a week). Macmillan is also reminding anyone worried about cancer symptoms to contact their GP as an absolute priority. The latest guidance on coronavirus for people with cancer is also available on the charity’s online Covid-19 hub.
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