Can you tell us a fun fact about yourself?
Once upon a time I ran the Dublin marathon with swine flu… and lived to tell the tale.

How did you get into nursing?
The honest answer… I ended up doing nursing out of a process of elimination! I was sure I wanted to work in healthcare but thought I would do an allied healthcare professional degree. I considered all other healthcare professional degrees, attended open days and ruled them all out. At 18 years of age and trying to decide what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, nursing was the profession left standing that appealed to me.

How long have you been working for Eakin?
Since 2018

What does your role involve?
Primarily my role is community stoma nurse but I do also support people using eakin wound pouches. When someone is discharged from hospital following surgery and are using an eakin pouch they are referred to me for community stoma care. I visit them regularly in the early weeks and months to help support them on their journey to adapting to life with a stoma. As time goes on and independence and confidence is gained I need to visit less often but remain in touch and offer support and routine reviews for as long as they have a stoma.

What is your favourite part of being a stoma nurse?
This is going to sound cringey, but I genuinely love everything about being a stoma nurse, specifically being  a community stoma nurse. It’s such an honour and privilege to enter people’s homes as they embark on their journey with a new stoma. I feel incredibly lucky to support people on this journey.

What does being a nurse mean to you?
Being a nurse offers a huge sense of purpose. Being able to make a difference to people during their time of need is very special. I first entered the hospital wards at the young age of 18 as a student nurse and from that young age to now I’ve learnt so much from all the patients I’ve met and gained huge life perspective.