As part of our commitment to education and community engagement, ACCORD Hospice regularly welcomes students for work experience placements. This autumn, we were delighted to host Katie, a 4th-year student in high school with a keen interest in healthcare and a personal connection to hospice care.

Her week with us offered a unique opportunity to explore the compassionate, holistic support we provide - and to reflect on what hospice care truly means.

“I’m really interested in healthcare and hospice care. I wanted to do my work experience somewhere that aligns with my personal values. I’ve had some personal experience of hospice care and I’m keen to learn more about all the different ways hospices support people.”

“Dignity, comfort, autonomy and giving people peace of mind. My family have had experience of hospice care, so I know that it’s not just medical care - it’s also emotional support for patients and families.”

Katie was particularly interested in the personalised care at ACCORD:

“Hospices are much more holistic and personalised. They are more focused on the person and their comfort, and making people feel safe and supported rather than curing them. I’m looking forward to finding out how everything works and comes together to give people the best experience.”

At the end of her week, Katie described her experience in three words:

“Inspiring, informative, fulfilling.”

She was struck by the strong sense of community at ACCORD:

“All the teams are so dedicated and everybody really wants to pitch in and help. I didn’t realise the scope of the care provided out with the actual hospice building. The community nurses, the shops, the bereavement service… it’s so much more than I first thought.”

One of the most memorable parts of her placement was meeting the Community Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) team:

“I really liked talking to the community CNS team and learning about what they do for patients and families. I found I have a lot of compassion for all the hospice staff. They do really hard jobs. I feel like I developed my communication skills during this placement and that I am a good communicator.”

She leaves ACCORD with new confidence and skills:

“Learning to interact with people helped me to feel more confident. It’s a really nice environment to work in. Everyone is so nice and friendly. The staff are very focused on making the most of the time people have left to live rather than focusing on death and dying.”

And her message to the wider community?

“The hospice is an amazing place that does so much important work for patients and families. The work they do should be recognised and appreciated. The stigma around hospices about being sad or depressing places needs to change. It’s actually a really positive place to be and to work in.”