Kuwaiti child thanks her heroes this International Nurses Day
Fatimah has been at the London hospital as an inpatient since February, but has been visiting the hospital since November 2016 to receive on-going and specialised treatment for her blood disorder.
“The nurses are all very good,” Fatimah’s mum explains. “They come and play with Fatimah. They are very friendly and kind. When I first came to GOSH, I thought that the nurses would only give out medicines, help with treatments, but our nurses come and visit Fatimah when they have free-time and play with her. I was not expecting this, but it is great.”
On her favourite nurse, Fatimah says she couldn’t possibly compare. “I don’t have a favourite nurse – I like everyone! They are very good!”
Two of Fatimah’s nurses, Jessica Licorish, Healthcare Assistant (HCA) and Laura Graham, Ward Sister, say that Fatimah is a pleasure to have on the ward. “Fatimah is just a ray of sunshine, when you walk into the room and you walk out smiling. This is what I love about working on Butterfly Ward because I am able to learn about different cultures,” said Jessica.
Laura, who has known Fatimah since she was admitted to GOSH’s Butterfly ward in February, said, “Fatimah is very cheerful and is always happy to chat with us. You can chat about all kinds of things with her; she loves ice cream, and when she’s been out of the hospital we always talk about which flavour ice cream she has had! She lightens up my staff’s day because we can talk about non-medical things with her and just have fun.”
The hospital, which treats over 1,500 children from the Middle East every year, employs 4122 staff, 33 percent of which are nursing staff. In aid of International Nurses Day, the hospital is hosting an event to celebrate the ‘nurse as the hero’ at GOSH.
“Nursing is well and truly at the heart of children’s care at GOSH, and we are proud to recognise all the nurses that have helped to care for the children and families who have visited the hospital from across the world, past and present. From what we see on a daily basis, in cases such as Fatimah’s, nursing is much more than a job: it is a heart-felt vocation, a highly skilled profession and advancing career. Nurses not only provide clinical care, but also vital emotional support to the children, families and staff around them, which can be seen here by the touching bond created between Fatimah, her mum and the nurses.’ said Claudia Tomlin, Interim Head of Nursing for the International and Private Patient Division.
