Be inspired - Julie Sheen - proud RMN (newly qualified)

I was having one of those mornings  when this e mail from the wonderful kind Julie Sheen - proud RMN (newly qualified) arrived and made the biggest difference to my mood and day 

I had the great privilege to meet Julie a last month at a student led conference at Teesside University 

 Julie's passion and enthusiasm made my heart smile 

As I left that day Julie said she would be sharing ' make a difference ' as part of a talk she had soon

You can read the amazing story below 

Thank you Julie for the kindness ,your story and for making a difference 

Julie Sheen - proud RMN (newly qualified).

 On 25th September 2014 I was asked to deliver a motivational speech to 280 new nursing students at The University of Chester as part of their induction week and was daunted to be met with the sight of 280 expectant faces looking back at me. 

 I was asked to tell them about my journey from depression to Downing Street, as I had been cared for in my past as a patient and now, as I won Nursing Standard Student Nurse of the Year and Student Nursing Times Care maker of the year, I was soon  to visit 10 Downing Street at The invitation of the Prime Minister.

  I was also encouraged to explain the yearlong-campaign  I ran in partnership with my lecturer and the students union which was aimed at improving the mental wellbeing of students. 

I wanted to explain what I had achieved and encourage their broader involvement with their University which would not only supplement their training, but would also develop them as people, which I feel would make them more effective practitioners of the future.

  As I began to think about that I began to  realise that it was not about encouraging them to do things so that they can receive shiny trophies, but very nice they are, however to inspire them to make a difference to others. 

Therefore after outlining the above I spoke about three people who had inspired me recently: my lecturer Julie Dulson (the kind of nurse I aspire to be), Becky Lees who was the vice president of Chester Students Union and now student engagement officer (my critical friend and who encouraged me as a mature student with more ‘labels’ than you could imagine) and finally but certainly not last Tommy Whitelaw.  I explained how Tommy was doing possibly a bigger and more important of a tour than John Bishop this year!  After explaining how Tommy raises the extremely thought provoking issues re the day to day issues faced by carers of people who are experiencing dementia, I highlighted that every single student nurse will be part of someone’s dementia journey and the difference they can make to that journey. 

 I then asked them to do something inspirational right there andthen, which was to make their own quick pledge to carers, asking for even just one word even.  I asked them to then hold up their pledges together and was delighted that now rather than the frightening hall full of faces I now saw a wonderful sight of pledges.  This made me now inspired to make my own new pledge: “I pledge to turn the ‘sea’ of countless faces of healthcare from something daunting for carers to something supportive and caring”.

Having now typed up all of the 155 pledges I received back that day it stood out to be how many times the words ‘listen’ ‘care’ and ‘smile’ were repeated, if we all just followed those three words, I am sure we can Make a Difference.

Julie Sheen - proud RMN (newly qualified).

1. Listen and communicate compassion

2. Help

3. Help People smile and laugh

4. Listen

5. Give them more support and listen to them to promote good care

6. To help people with dementia and carers by educating people who don’t know or fully understand; to bring awareness

7. Help raise awareness

8. To listen more and have more awareness of dementia

9. Be compassionate for good care and support everyone equally

10. Listen

11. Support

12. Support and stability so that they are not alone

13. Listen

14. More support for those who are carers of people with dementia at home

15. I will listen to them

16. Raise awareness 

17. Reassurance

18. Care and support

19. To always listen and to be a figure of support for anybody, from any walk of life, who is a carer for somebody with dementia

20. Care

21. Patience

22. Consider THEIR views

23. Be there

24. Show patience

25. Empower and thank them

26. Support

27. Listen

28. Make a difference

29. Raise awareness

30. Listen

31. Listen and support

32. Listen and smile

33. Give them someone to talk to

34. Understand

35. Raise awareness for the carers

36. Be there

37. Listen to them for advice

38. I will help other care workers to understand dementia

39. Listen

40. Raise awareness

41. Be patient

42. Listen

43. I will smile

44. I will support and learn to understand

45. Advocate or give them a voice

46. Listen

47. I will care and show compassion to all service users and carers affected by dementia

48. Listen

49. Raise awareness

50. Listen to them

51. Care

52. Make them aware of the help available 

53. Talk to them

54. Learn

55. Just listen

56. Give them time and spend quality time with them

57. Give them a voice

58. Fight for them and support them

59. Give them TLC and support

60. Put in passion and the 6Cs

61. Spend more time assisting carers for people with dementia.  Become a dementia friend to widen my knowledge of dementia so that I can be more understanding of the condition

62. I will always take their needs in to account

63. Have empathy and encourage.  Sit with them and listen.

64. Listen and support

65. Be a dementia friend

66. Learn and care

67. Give them a voice (a voice to make a change)

68. Listen

69. Learn

70. Give them a voice 

71. Friend

72. Listen to them

73. Become a dementia friend

74. Be nice

75. Listen and support

76. Shoulder to cry on

77. Give them power to change a life

78. Make time to listen

79. Listen, talk, give time

80. I will become a dementia friend

81. Listen

82. Become a dementia friend

83. Talk about it and promote carers, make people aware of what carers do

84. Love

85. Try to raise awareness

86. I will listen

87. Dignity (let them keep it) we are ALL human

88. Don’t be ageist

89. Treat them how you would like to be treat yourself

90. Support and care

91. Listen

92. Help them and make them smile

93. Smile and care

94. Listen

95. Fight 

96. Listen

97. Support

98. Love and listen

99. Listen

100. Support

101. Be more understanding

102. More time, support and praise

103. Make time for them

104. Be polite and understanding

105. Compassionate

106. Show some understanding

107. Increase awareness

108. Protect and reassure

109. Take time to listen and understand

110. Be compassionate

111. Help it to be well known around the world to get better support and more people to listen for better quality of care

112. Use courage

113. Understand and empathise

114. To listen, to help, to support, to be there if needed

115. I will listen and show compassion

116. Support

117. Have more patience and promote their independence in their job

118. Pray

119. More support so they have a voice

120. More support

121. Respect

122. Learn

123. Promote support

124. Patience

125. Care

126. Gain more understanding

127. Support

128. Listen 

129. Support

130. Smile

131. Understand

132. Patience

133. Listen

134. To listen and advocate

135. Listen

136. To be there. To have a friend and to listen, put in place what they need

137. Care

138. Listen

139. Smile

140. Listen

141. Talk to them

142. Provide care with empathy and understanding

143. Listen

144. Be friendly and helpful

145. Be friendly with them and make them smile

146. Listen

147. Courage

148. Listen

149. Learn

150. Help

151. Care

152. Listen and understand

153. Care

154. Learn

155. Listen