A holistic approach to healthcare
Kempton Park resident Nelisiwe Xaba-Nzuza (45), who is responsible for several areas including Germiston, has been a community nurse at Hospice East Rand for two years.
Life as a palliative care nurse is not an easy task.
Kempton Park resident Nelisiwe Xaba-Nzuza (45), who is responsible for several areas including Germiston, has been a community nurse at Hospice East Rand for two years.
“Throughout my 20-year nursing career, I have gained valuable knowledge and skills to take care of patients with various life-threatening conditions.
“It is difficult dealing with treatment failures and poor prognosis. It is worrying when a decision is taken to stop treatment and patients are told nothing else can be done. We cannot just abandon patients when curative care has failed,” she said in giving her reasons to become a palliative nurse.
Neli explained palliative care provides a cloak of comfort to patients suffering from life-threatening diseases and those at the end-stage of their chronic conditions, as well as support for their families.
“Palliative care includes a holistic approach. It addresses patients as a whole, taking their physical, psychosocial, spiritual and cultural aspects into account.
“We consider both patient and family as a unit of care. Our main focus is pain relief and improving the patient’s quality of life rather than lengthening the days of life.”
These patients spend a considerable amount of time in and out of hospital for complicated treatments and procedures.
Her day-to-day duties include home-based visits where comprehensive assessments of the patient and family are required.
She is motivated by the difference she makes in the lives of patients and their families during their toughest journey of coping with a life-limiting illness.
“It is important to provide comfort, manage pain and other distress symptoms and reminding families that they are not alone. I am there to listen, assist and help them manage the care of their loved ones until the end of that person’s life. This gives me peace and fulfilment
in my job as a palliative care nurse.”
Covid-19
The pandemic affected everyone, especially frontline workers.
“It was not easy but the support of our team and the public with donations of PPE has made it easier, and for that I am very grateful.
“As frontline workers, our families were concerned about the risks of contracting the virus but they were comforted by the fact that we are protected by wearing PPE. I would not change my job for anything.
“It provides a great sense of motivation to continue my service to humankind even during these unprecedented times,” said the nurse.
Outside of work, Neli is a mom of two and wife to Mbongiseni Nzuza.
She said she loves socialising, retail therapy and travelling for fun.
Neli encouraged health workers in acute care to integrate palliative care in their practice.
“Nurses need to know palliative care can be delivered in the most appropriate setting for the individual patient and family, be it a hospital, Hospice, clinics, frail care or in the comfort of the patient’s homes by palliative care trained staff.
“People think palliative care is just for cancer patients and that it’s a place where people go to die, which is not the case.
“I understand there are many misconceptions about Hospice care and I hope highlighting our work will bring clarity to our communities so they can seek the help they need. I will continue to uphold my calling and provide a service to humanity,” said Neli.
