A hospice is promoting the core values of nursing ahead of a national awareness day tomorrow.

National Nurse’s Day will be marked on Monday, May 12, with Garden House Hospice in Letchworth GC celebrating the work of the nursing profession in providing care, support and comfort to the community.

Karen Rabjohn, head of fundraising at Garden House Hospice, which provides care for people with life limiting illnesses across North Hertfordshire and Stevenage, said: “High quality care is pivotal to nursing and at Garden House Hospice that care extends to all the family, friends and important people in the patients life.

“The care given is not just for the physical relief of symptoms but must cover the emotional, spiritual and psychological needs of each person and is different for each individual.

“For the nurses in the 12 bed in-patient unit, care goes hand-in-hand with compassion. Each person through the door is treated as an individual and is treated with compassion and empathy, they are not judged, they are accepted and respected for who they are.

“Also importantly the nurses treat each other with care and compassion and accept that they are human and will sometimes feel overwhelmed with the emotions of patients and their families.”

“For the nurses at Garden House each shift (365 days a year, 24 hours a day) means dealing with strong emotions and reactions.

“It takes courage to place yourself into another person’s intimate space and to be along side them as they face death, becoming close with them and their family and that is when good communication is essential.”

For more information about the hospice and the care it provides visit www.ghhospice.co.uk or call 01462 679540.