Jessie May nurses are free of charge to families who need us.
Jessie May recognises that the whole family is under huge emotional and physical strain when a child has a life limiting condition. Through our team of dedicated Jessie May Nurses we provide specialist palliative nursing care and support to help alleviate some of this pressure. This support is provided in the comfort of the family’s own home whenever possible, from the time of diagnosis onwards.
The care we provide is holistic, individualised and family-centred, working closely with other professionals involved in supporting the family to ensure effective communication, continuity of care, and that all needs are met.
A Jessie May nurse can provide:
- Specialised nursing care
- Palliative and End of Life Care
- Complex respite care in the home, and during hospital admission
- Bereavement Support for up to 5 years following a child’s death
- Emotional support and advocacy for families – including support visits and telephone support
- Invitations to family social events throughout the year
Meet Jessie May nurse, Lois
A visit to a family will generally last around 3 hours. The parents will do a quick handover, so we can take full responsibility for their child’s medical care and wellbeing for the duration of the visit.
The children we look after have a wide range of conditions. Some of them need more complex nursing care than others. Some of them need to be given medicine – that’s where our specialist nursing training is important.
We don’t only offer nursing care, we care holistically and this can include playing, learning, getting out and about and of course cuddles and emotional support. The key is that the parents can leave us for a few hours, take a much needed break from the constant care they give to their child, and have total confidence in us to manage that care in their absence.
Every child is different, each one has his or her own character. So much of the job is learned together as we go along – we learn a lot from the parents and the other nurses.
A lot of our work is supporting parents in terms of advice and emotional support, either in person or over the phone. We provide end of life and bereavement support, and families in those situations are given priority. The bereavement support continues for five years after the child has died.
The nurses get to know the children and form bonds with them. There are sad times. But my job is also full of so much joy. Delivering child-centred care, specific to each individual child’s needs, enables us to make a difference for the whole family and helps the quality of life for the children. It is so rewarding just to be able to spend time with them. I often tell people I have the best job in the world!
