I was having one of those mornings when this e mail from the wonderful kind Julie Sheen - proud RMN (newly qualified) arrived and made the biggest difference to my mood and day
I had the great privilege to meet Julie a last month at a student led conference at Teesside University
Julie's passion and enthusiasm made my heart smile
As I left that day Julie said she would be sharing ' make a difference ' as part of a talk she had soon
You can read the amazing story below
Thank you Julie for the kindness ,your story and for making a difference
Julie Sheen - proud RMN (newly qualified).
On 25th September 2014 I was asked to deliver a motivational speech to 280 new nursing students at The University of Chester as part of their induction week and was daunted to be met with the sight of 280 expectant faces looking back at me.
I was asked to tell them about my journey from depression to Downing Street, as I had been cared for in my past as a patient and now, as I won Nursing Standard Student Nurse of the Year and Student Nursing Times Care maker of the year, I was soon to visit 10 Downing Street at The invitation of the Prime Minister.
I was also encouraged to explain the yearlong-campaign I ran in partnership with my lecturer and the students union which was aimed at improving the mental wellbeing of students.
I wanted to explain what I had achieved and encourage their broader involvement with their University which would not only supplement their training, but would also develop them as people, which I feel would make them more effective practitioners of the future.
As I began to think about that I began to realise that it was not about encouraging them to do things so that they can receive shiny trophies, but very nice they are, however to inspire them to make a difference to others.
Therefore after outlining the above I spoke about three people who had inspired me recently: my lecturer Julie Dulson (the kind of nurse I aspire to be), Becky Lees who was the vice president of Chester Students Union and now student engagement officer (my critical friend and who encouraged me as a mature student with more ‘labels’ than you could imagine) and finally but certainly not last Tommy Whitelaw. I explained how Tommy was doing possibly a bigger and more important of a tour than John Bishop this year! After explaining how Tommy raises the extremely thought provoking issues re the day to day issues faced by carers of people who are experiencing dementia, I highlighted that every single student nurse will be part of someone’s dementia journey and the difference they can make to that journey.
I then asked them to do something inspirational right there andthen, which was to make their own quick pledge to carers, asking for even just one word even. I asked them to then hold up their pledges together and was delighted that now rather than the frightening hall full of faces I now saw a wonderful sight of pledges. This made me now inspired to make my own new pledge: “I pledge to turn the ‘sea’ of countless faces of healthcare from something daunting for carers to something supportive and caring”.
Having now typed up all of the 155 pledges I received back that day it stood out to be how many times the words ‘listen’ ‘care’ and ‘smile’ were repeated, if we all just followed those three words, I am sure we can Make a Difference.
Julie Sheen - proud RMN (newly qualified).
1. Listen and communicate compassion
2. Help
3. Help People smile and laugh
4. Listen
5. Give them more support and listen to them to promote good care
6. To help people with dementia and carers by educating people who don’t know or fully understand; to bring awareness
7. Help raise awareness
8. To listen more and have more awareness of dementia
9. Be compassionate for good care and support everyone equally
10. Listen
11. Support
12. Support and stability so that they are not alone
13. Listen
14. More support for those who are carers of people with dementia at home
15. I will listen to them
16. Raise awareness
17. Reassurance
18. Care and support
19. To always listen and to be a figure of support for anybody, from any walk of life, who is a carer for somebody with dementia
20. Care
21. Patience
22. Consider THEIR views
23. Be there
24. Show patience
25. Empower and thank them
26. Support
27. Listen
28. Make a difference
29. Raise awareness
30. Listen
31. Listen and support
32. Listen and smile
33. Give them someone to talk to
34. Understand
35. Raise awareness for the carers
36. Be there
37. Listen to them for advice
38. I will help other care workers to understand dementia
39. Listen
40. Raise awareness
41. Be patient
42. Listen
43. I will smile
44. I will support and learn to understand
45. Advocate or give them a voice
46. Listen
47. I will care and show compassion to all service users and carers affected by dementia
48. Listen
49. Raise awareness
50. Listen to them
51. Care
52. Make them aware of the help available
53. Talk to them
54. Learn
55. Just listen
56. Give them time and spend quality time with them
57. Give them a voice
58. Fight for them and support them
59. Give them TLC and support
60. Put in passion and the 6Cs
61. Spend more time assisting carers for people with dementia. Become a dementia friend to widen my knowledge of dementia so that I can be more understanding of the condition
62. I will always take their needs in to account
63. Have empathy and encourage. Sit with them and listen.
64. Listen and support
65. Be a dementia friend
66. Learn and care
67. Give them a voice (a voice to make a change)
68. Listen
69. Learn
70. Give them a voice
71. Friend
72. Listen to them
73. Become a dementia friend
74. Be nice
75. Listen and support
76. Shoulder to cry on
77. Give them power to change a life
78. Make time to listen
79. Listen, talk, give time
80. I will become a dementia friend
81. Listen
82. Become a dementia friend
83. Talk about it and promote carers, make people aware of what carers do
84. Love
85. Try to raise awareness
86. I will listen
87. Dignity (let them keep it) we are ALL human
88. Don’t be ageist
89. Treat them how you would like to be treat yourself
90. Support and care
91. Listen
92. Help them and make them smile
93. Smile and care
94. Listen
95. Fight
96. Listen
97. Support
98. Love and listen
99. Listen
100. Support
101. Be more understanding
102. More time, support and praise
103. Make time for them
104. Be polite and understanding
105. Compassionate
106. Show some understanding
107. Increase awareness
108. Protect and reassure
109. Take time to listen and understand
110. Be compassionate
111. Help it to be well known around the world to get better support and more people to listen for better quality of care
112. Use courage
113. Understand and empathise
114. To listen, to help, to support, to be there if needed
115. I will listen and show compassion
116. Support
117. Have more patience and promote their independence in their job
118. Pray
119. More support so they have a voice
120. More support
121. Respect
122. Learn
123. Promote support
124. Patience
125. Care
126. Gain more understanding
127. Support
128. Listen
129. Support
130. Smile
131. Understand
132. Patience
133. Listen
134. To listen and advocate
135. Listen
136. To be there. To have a friend and to listen, put in place what they need
137. Care
138. Listen
139. Smile
140. Listen
141. Talk to them
142. Provide care with empathy and understanding
143. Listen
144. Be friendly and helpful
145. Be friendly with them and make them smile
146. Listen
147. Courage
148. Listen
149. Learn
150. Help
151. Care
152. Listen and understand
153. Care
154. Learn
155. Listen
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