I WORK as a staff nurse at the Sue Ryder Manorlands hospice in Oxenhope, caring for people who have been diagnosed with a life-limiting condition.

I would like to share my personal experience of what it is like to work in a hospice.

I know many people picture a hospice as a gloomy and sad place where old people go to die. But this is so far from the truth.

The first time I worked at Manorlands was as a student doing a work placement.

Once I graduated, I went on to work in a hospital. But I never forgot my time at the hospice, the special atmosphere and the support of my colleagues.

What I like most about working at Manorlands is the opportunity you have to give time to patients.

You don’t only look after their medical symptoms but you care for the whole person, taking into account their emotional needs as well as the needs of the people they love. It’s a really holistic approach.

I will never forget the day we all pulled together with the other teams across the hospice to help a young couple get married and managed to organise everything in a matter of hours, as this was their last wish. I knew then I didn’t want to work anywhere else.

Many people might think that it’s a morbid place as the people we care for have life-limiting conditions, but in fact it’s a positive and uplifting place and this is down to the incredible staff who work there.

You also have the chance to progress and further develop your skills, as lots of training opportunities are offered.

Manorlands is recruiting more registered nurses at the moment so if any readers are nurses or perhaps they have friends or family members who are nurses, we would like to invite them to come in for an informal chat with our team to see for themselves what a great place this is.

For more information or to set a date for a visit, please call 01535 642308.

JENNY MIDDLETON Sue Ryder staff nurse, Manorlands Hospice