Sr Heilie Turner is dedicated to palliative care

Palliative care can be described as an interdisciplinary medical caregiving approach aimed at improving quality of life and alleviating suffering among people with serious, complex illnesses.

Hospice East Rand has nurses and staff who pride themselves in providing such care. One such devoted person is Sr Heilie Turner who has been with Hospice East Rand since 2019. Turner started with locum work from October 2019 until May and was appointed permanently in June.

Turner, who stays on a plot a few kilos from Bapsfontein, told Express her mother being a breast cancer survivor sparked her interest in this field.

“Seeing my mother going through everything and being a survivor made me wonder what happens if people don’t recover, which sparked my interest in palliative care,” shared Turner.

The dedicated Hospice East Rand sister, wife, mother of four and grandmother to two is no stranger to nurturing and care-giving. During a Q and A with Express, Turner shared more details about her experience as a hospice nurse.

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Q: Tell us about your day-to-day duties?
A: My day starts with phone calls to book patient visits. I then visit my patients to see how they are doing and to monitor their pain and control their symptoms. Paperwork and statistics also form a large part of my day. Whenever I get a call from Sr Lethiwe, our intake officer at Hospice East Rand, I phone the family to book an appointment to do the intake as soon as possible. An intake can take approximately two hours.

Q: What do you like most about your job? Why?
A: I love guiding my patients and their families through the last part of the patients’ journey. Preparation is key and it’s heart-warming to see how a patient and their family are prepared for what’s to come. Guiding them through the process step by step makes things a little easier to bare.

Q: There are many misconceptions about hospice and palliative care (it’s just for cancer patients, it’s a place where people go to die, etc.). What do you say to people who still hold these beliefs?

A: I explain that hospice and palliative care are for people with life-limiting illnesses and our focus is on pain control and the comfort of the patient. We use a holistic approach and help patients and their families to come to terms with the diagnosis. We don’t only assist cancer patients but other life-limiting illnessesh such as strokes, Alzheimer’s, dementia and HIV/Aids.

Q: What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in this position?
A: Time is always a challengeh especially in a big area. The more time you spend on the road the less time you have for your patients. Another challenge is receiving many admissions in one week while you already have patients to see because admissions take time. You need to get to know the patient, the family and understand all the medical and emotional concerns related to the patient. Diary juggles are a real thing.

Q: What are some of your highlights?
A: Walking the journey with my patients. One of my patients had a huge impact on me. When I admitted him he was still well enough to look after himself and he gradually got weaker and less able to look after himself. The highlight of our relationship was being part of his journey and walking the path together. We learnt from each other and when he died it was peaceful and his family, although sad, were at ease that he died in peace.

Q: How has lockdown and the pandemic affected your work?
A: Lockdown has been difficult from a palliative care perspective as part of our care includes touch, like holding a hand or giving someone a hug. With lockdown we suddenly couldn’t touch our patients, we had to wear masks and gowns and use a lot of sanitisers. Patients were worried that we’d bring Covid-19 into their houses and we had to allay these fears and reassure them their best interests are at heart. Thankfully, my patients trust my judgement so I could still provide the care they are used to.

Q: Do you have any hobbies or special interests?
A: We have horses and wild buck (springbok, rooibok) on the plot. The horses keep us busy. We also love dogs and cats. We have two geese that see themselves as part of the family and follow us everywhere. I hope to start my own vegetable garden soon.

Q: How would you describe yourself?
A: I am an ex-soldier having spent 10 years in SAMS and left as a captain. I see myself as a soldier, nurse, wife and mother. I am compassionate and love to work with people. I have empathy and always put others’ needs before my own.

Q: What motivates you?
A: My husband, children and life.

Q: What advice would you give to people wanting to work in this field?
A: Go for it, this is the most satisfying job I have ever had.

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