“I’m from Ardfert in North Kerry originally. I lived in Dublin, England, the Middle East and America over the course of my working life. Around 1993, I was driving through Kenmare and I just said, ‘I am going to live here.’ I just saw huge potential: the beauty, the peace, the setting, I just felt a crazy love for the place!”

“I have always worked in oncology and palliative care and for the last 18 years I’ve worked in palliative community nursing in west Cork. At the same time I was Night Nursing with the Irish Cancer Society when I could manage it. It is a pleasure and privilege to be a Night Nurse. In this role, I also do the induction days for new Night Nurses joining the team.” 

“There are over 200 Night Nurses throughout the country. We provide a home nursing service to patients and their families for all ages, from babies to adulthood. We provide advice and support for the carers and family. We also make sure that there is continuity of care for the patient in their home.”

“Most of our referrals are from the community palliative care team, but GPs, public health nurses and hospitals can also refer patients to us. The referrals will be sent to our headquarters in Northumberland Road. Our colleagues then contact the Night Nurse closest to the patient’s home. We look after our patients from 11pm at night and leave in the morning at 7am. If the patient is quite symptomatic, or if a family needs extra support, there is a twilight service available from 6pm to 11pm.”
 

“We are welcomed with such warmth at the homes we visit. We introduce ourselves; we meet the patient and the family; we do our assessment and advise the family to take a rest. We would call people if there was any change in the person during the night. The family breathes a sigh of relief that they can close their eyes for a few hours.” 

“We are invited into their home, so we go with the flow. We do not impose ourselves. We are gentle and compassionate and listen to every story, because every story is so different.” 

“For us, self-care is also very important, being sure that we are well rested before we arrive to the house. Having plenty of water, fruit and snacks, that kind of thing. It’s thinking ‘this person needs me for the next eight hours, so I better be feeling good, so I can give it my all for the eight hours.’”

Driving home in the morning is a great time to reflect. We always have our flask of tea or coffee. I am totally in love with the Beara Peninsula. Driving back up towards Kenmare, the space and the light of Beara is a tonic. I swear, it’s a job that I just adore. There is such love and a compassion out there. Any nurse that I have ever met who does this job truly, truly loves it.”

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