“I joined Helping Hand as an enrolled nurse in 1988. I’m responsible for checking the health conditions of our residents, dealing with any health concerns and reporting to the visiting doctor. The nurses here are also in charge of dispensing medication, injections and ensuring our residents are eating and sleeping well. It was a particularly difficult period for us during the pandemic. Lots of people were getting ill and with our residents being in the high risk category, we had to be extra cautious. Given the hands-on nature of our work, the staff got ill one after another, which meant that those who were not infected had to take on extra shifts - sometimes staying overnight at the care homes to look after our residents. It was a challenging time for frontline care workers and I’m glad that those days are over! 

「我喺1988年加入伸手助人協會成為註冊護士。我負責檢查院友嘅健康狀況，處理佢哋健康方面嘅問題，將情況話俾院舍嘅外展醫生聽。呢度嘅護士亦會負責派藥、打針同確保院友嘅健康嘅飲食同埋睡眠。疫情期間對我哋嚟講係特別困難嘅時期。嗰時好多人都受感染，我哋嘅院友屬於高風險群組，所以我哋需要加倍小心。由於我哋嘅工作需要接觸好多人，我哋嘅員工一個接一個咁中招，未中招嘅同事就要額外加班，有時要通宵留喺院舍照顧院友。嗰時對前線護理員嚟講係好困難嘅時期，好慶幸嗰啲日子已經過去！

“As a more experienced nurse, I had the opportunity to go to different Helping Hand care homes to train up new nurses over the years. I learnt a lot from those experiences. I think it’s always important to get outside of our comfort zones, to learn new things and work with many different kinds of people - it’s the only way that we can grow and challenge ourselves! Apart from the medical aspects, we also need to navigate relationships with social workers, as sometimes what a resident wants emotionally or mentally may not be what’s best for their health and safety. It’s a constant delicate balance!” 

”In my many years as a nurse, I’ve learnt the art of forgetting. We foster great relationships with our residents, but when they pass on, we cannot hold onto that sadness as we need to be our best selves for all the other residents who still need our care. We bond with the residents through different games and activities. One time, we organised a ‘retro’ event, where we dressed our residents up in traditional Cheongsam. We used that occasion to jog some old memories for them and to give them an opportunity to share stories about the ‘good old days’. The ladies in particular were delighted to play dress-up and have their hair and make up done for the day! In my 35 years with Helping Hand, my most memorable experience was when Princess Diana visited our care home in 1989. I had the opportunity to meet and greet her - she was so down to earth and so beautiful! I will always treasure this special memory.”

.

 「作為一個比較資深嘅護士，我咁多年嚟有機會去伸手助人協會唔同嘅院舍訓練新護士。呢啲經驗教曉咗我好多嘢。我覺得離開自己嘅舒適圈，去學習新事物，同唔同嘅人合作做嘢，係好重要，唯有係咁我哋先會成長同埋挑戰到自己！除咗醫護方面，我哋都要同社工合作，因為有時院友情緒上或者心靈上需要嘅嘢，對佢哋嘅健康同人身安全又未必係最好。所以一路要好微妙咁攞個平衡！

「做咗咁多年護士，我學識咗忘記嘅學問。我哋同院友有好好嘅情誼，但當佢哋過世，我哋唔可以一直傷感，因為仲有其他院友需要我哋嘅照顧，我哋要做好本份。我哋會安排唔同遊戲同埋活動俾院友，有一次我哋舉辦咗一個懷舊活動，等院友們可以著傳統長衫，透過嗰個活動勾起佢哋嘅回憶，等佢哋分享吓想當年嘅故事。婆婆們有得化妝整頭扮吓靚，就特別高興！喺伸人助人協會呢35年裏面，我最難忘嘅經歷就係1989年戴安娜王妃嚟探訪我哋嘅護老院，嗰時我有機會去同佢見面打招呼，佢好親民好靚！我永遠都會記得呢個咁特別嘅回憶。」