Tyrone woman celebrates 35 years as Marie Curie nurse

WHEN Ruth Keys embarked on her professional journey with Marie Curie, little did she know that 35 years later she would still be serving her local community.

The Tyrone woman was invited to afternoon tea at the Stormont Hotel in Belfast, last Thursday, where she was presented with a long-service award for her work with the charity.

As a dedicated staff nurse at the Ulster Hospital, Ruth began her nursing journey in 1980. However as her career developed, she began part-time work with Marie Curie, eventually leaving the ward permanently for a full-time contracted post with the charity.

“It has been an amazing life of work with Marie Curie,” began Ruth. “And while leaving my job on the ward was a huge endeavour, it was a decision I never looked back from.”

Ruth has spent her years as a ‘lone worker’ visiting patients with terminal illnesses, providing physical, emotional and spiritual help to those in the community who need it most.

“The home is such a precious place and I have been welcomed into many homes with open arms; I’ve been needed and always appreciated in every home I visited,” she remarked.

“We, as Marie Curie nurses, provide physical care to the patient from head to toe and are trained in medical intervention. But we also provide a listening and compassionate ear for patients, and indeed their family – often sign-posting families to where they can find help and support.

“You only get one chance to get it right and make a difference at the end of a patient’s life for the better – so it’s important we take that very seriously.”

STRUGGLES

While Ruth is resounding in her love of the role, it remains a job with intense challenges – nothing however, that the nurses aren’t equipped to deal with.

“It is a sad job,” affirmed Ruth. “Tears have tripped me leaving homes and that can be very tough.

“But Marie Curie are amazing and provide all nurses with the training, skills and knowledge needed so we have the ability to deal with the tough situations we face frequently.”

Describing it as a ‘confidential shoulder to lean on’, Ruth also explained how there are ‘clinical supervision’ sessions organised by Marie Curie to support nurses. These provide a safe place for them to share in confidentiality their experiences and worries.

“I have always felt cared for by Marie Curie and they always make sure we have support and they take the welfare of their staff very seriously,” said Ruth.

“That was always important to me .”

Ruth pinpointed her faith as being the primary reason why she has been so resilient across the years.

“My personal faith has been the main reason I have stayed working with Marie Curie for so long. I have a strong belief in God and believe he has guided me throughout the years.

“The belief that the struggles we face in this life are not the end, rather the beginning of an eternal life with God, is what gets me through the incredibly tough aspects of palliative nursing.”

Ruth is involved with Marie Curie in more ways than one.

“I have always seen my role in the charity as being two-fold because while I am intensely passionate about nursing, I also love to get involved with fundraising,” she added.

Ruth shared how great bonds and friendships are formed by those involved with fundraising for the charity and she encourages other nurses to follow suit.

“I would encourage colleagues to consider branching out and getting involved in fundraising because it really is very rewarding.”

35 YEARS LATER

Today, Ruth still feels as though she has plenty of care, dedication and compassion to offer as a nurse with Marie Curie. But with 15 grandchildren running around, Ruth has understandably cut back on her shifts.

“It has been a pleasure to watch the charity go from strength to strength,” she continued, “and I personally feel like my journey with Marie Curie is not over just yet.”