Case studies

"The patients are at the centre of everything we do and make our job so rewarding"

What does our job involve?

We are Nurse Specialists and work within the North of England Neurosciences Movement Disorder Team based in Newcastle. Our team comprises of neurologists, neurosurgeons, physiotherapists, psychologists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and specialist nurses. We have the clinical expertise within the team to diagnose and manage all recognised types of movement disorders. Once a diagnosis is established we can offer patients all standard treatments and also complex therapies.

We specifically assess patient’s suitability for deep brain stimulator (DBS) surgery and support them through this process.

If selected for DBS surgery we will then manage their post-surgery care using our expertise and experience. We are able to work autonomously within a holistic model of care. This enables us as a team to provide the patient and their families with a continuity of expert care and support, throughout their surgical treatment.  As nurse specialists we are able to see the bigger picture and therefore involve the whole team in ensuring the patient is at the heart of everything we do.

What do we love about our job?

The patients are at the centre of everything we do and they are what make our job so rewarding. Being able to help patients who have incurable, debilitating medical conditions brings its own rewards.  We are also in a privileged position, as, once surgery is performed the patients remain in our care for the rest of their life.

As our role is highly specialised and there are only a designated number of centres within the country offering this treatment. Staff education and professional development are priorities. We embrace the opportunities to attend educational courses and conferences. This ensures we maintain our clinical skills and expertise.

Add all this together with the comradery and respect for each other within our team makes our job special.

Proudest moment so far?

• Helping patients live life free of disability.
• Being part of the newly established National Deep Brain Stimulation Nurse Association.

Any tips for finding a job that you love?

Find something in nursing that you are interested in and you never know where this may lead you to.

Tell us about any travel and / or any unusual aspects of the job

One of my patients contacted me as they were on holiday in Austria and their battery re-charging equipment was broken. This could have resulted in serious complications if the power supply was lost. After help from the technical support team in locating a replacement piece of kit, I found myself giving directions to the patient, to go up to the top floor of the Millennium Tower in Vienna to get a replacement piece of equipment. Not an average daily occurrence.

We are very fortunate to attend specialist conferences at locations in the UK to the other side of the world.

What are your usual working hours?

Our hours are very much based around the needs of the service. We can be in from 07:30 hours and here until 18:30, especially if there is a patient having surgery that day.

What training is needed for your job?

General nursing training; Neuroscience experience; Neuro course; Clinical skills course; Prescribing course;

Tell us what your patients think

We are in a very privileged position as we are able to get to know our patients so well over a long time. We receive very positive feedback from our patients, who are generally living with high levels of disability.

Sometimes we don’t see the patients for a long period and then they report to us with stories about things they are now doing because of the treatment they have received. A good example of this was a patient who had been disabled throughout his childhood and adult life and is now able to travel abroad and join in with family activities.

Over the years I have learned to appreciate that it is the patients's perception of how well they are doing that matters, not mine.