Adapting to the challenge

1:38pm Monday 28th January 2008

In our latest Day in the Life profile, GILL OLIVER talks to Louise Morgan, who works as a senior staff nurse at the world-renowned Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford Nurse Louise Morgan, 40, lives in Headington with her partner Mark Smith, a painter and decorator. She has worked at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington for the past 15 years. She told Intuition about her career and the challenges it presents each day: "I started my career in nursing at the John Radcliffe on A&E and then the trauma unit. After that, I went to the orthopaedic ward before coming here to the Nuffield.

"Seeing the trauma caused by car crashes and the like, I was always interested in how it was possible to mend broken bones.

"And now, working in a specialist hospital like this, it's given me a chance to experience things I wouldn't have been able to do elsewhere, which is fantastic.

"I have worked on the bone infection unit where patients might stay for months.

"But on the elective side of orthopaedics where I am now, patients come in needing a new hip or knee and we are remarkably quick - four or five days and they're able to return home.

"We see patients arriving in a lot of pain, disabled and unable to get on with their lives.

"They have a new hip and then you see them walking out of the door with a smile on their face.

"That is probably the most rewarding thing - seeing patients feeling better after they have had their treatment.

"No two days are the same. Things change constantly and you feel like a chameleon, having to adapt to situations all the time.

"I find it really challenging but satisfying to be able to problem-solve and manage quite difficult situations.

"I might be dealing with a patient in a lot of distress one minute and then two minutes later be on the phone trying to arrange extra cover because we are short-staffed.

"The most challenging thing about working in the NHS under this financial climate are the days when we are short of nurses - that is really tough.

"I go home absolutely shattered, with sore feet and starving hungry because I haven't had a break. Days like that, I wonder what am I doing?' "I either work an early shift which is 7.30am-3.30 or I could be on a late, 1.30-9.30pm.

"Over the course of a month I might do nine days on and it might be late, early, late, early, late, early, two days off, early, early, early, late, late, late. There is no constant pattern.

"I might not get home until nearly 11pm. By the time I've had a shower and a bite to eat, it's quite late and then I have to be up before six the next morning to come back to work.

"I try to think that any patient I am looking after could be a member of my family and I like them to be treated as such.

"Some patients can be difficult at times but no two are ever the same.

"We operate as part of a team, working with the surgeons, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and other key members.

"For instance, when a patient is in pain we have a team that come and see how to best manage it. In those cases, it's a problem-solving exercise.

"Other times, it's about sitting down with patients and spending time reassuring them by giving them more explanation about what is actually going on.

"The hardest thing is when you don't have time to do that. The frustration in nursing is that we have the skills, the knowledge and the desire to deliver a certain level of care but sometimes we don't have the resources to do that.

"When I'm not at work I relax with my hobby, photography, and I enjoy spending time with my family - I do quite a bit of babysitting for my niece and nephew.

"You have to try and leave work at work because if you take it home it can interfere with your family and personal life but there are particular incidents that stay with you.

"Sometimes you worry and wonder how a patient got on and things can prey on your mind.

"At times when it's difficult and you are dealing with a patient who are going through a hard time, if you have great colleagues working with you, it really helps.

"We have a wonderful team here and that is one of the things that helps keep me going.

"About four weeks ago a young chap who'd come in to the hospital for an outpatients appointment, popped up to the ward to see us.

"He was in a road traffic accident some time ago and had awful injuries to his leg. The surgeons worked hard to save it and he spent a long time in hospital.

"At one point we thought he would end up having it amputated.

"Fortunately, things turned out well and he'd come to tell us that he was engaged and really happy because he was going to be able to walk down the aisle with his bride.

"Things like that are what make it all worthwhile."

"The most challenging thing about working in the NHS under this financial climate are the days when we are short of nurses - that is really tough.

I go home absolutely shattered, with sore feet and starving hungry because I haven't had a break. Days like that, I wonder what am I doing'?"

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